Colombia has launched a $1.68 billion programme to build an anti-drone shield designed to stop explosive UAV attacks by illegal armed groups. The government approved $271.1 million for phase one and held talks with international and private partners in Bogotá. Authorities recorded 264 drone attacks in 2024–2025, blamed on ELN and FARC dissidents, which killed 15 soldiers and wounded 153. The move comes as Colombia also finalizes a €3.1 billion deal to buy 17 Saab Gripen fighters.
Colombia Launches $1.68B Anti-Drone Shield to Counter Explosive UAV Attacks
Colombian Minister of Defense, Pedro Arnulfo Sanchez, speaks during an interview with Reuters in Bogota, Colombia, November 19, 2025. REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez
Colombia on Friday announced the launch of a $1.68 billion programme to develop an anti-drone shield aimed at protecting the country from explosive unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attacks carried out by illegal armed groups, Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez said.
"Colombia is embarking on one of the boldest and most innovative strategies for our national security and defense," Sánchez said in a video statement.
Project And Funding
The government has approved $271.1 million for the first phase of the project, and officials held a meeting in Bogotá with countries and companies that expressed interest in participating. No technical specifications or timelines for delivery were released at the meeting.
Scope Of The Threat
Between 2024 and 2025 authorities recorded 264 attacks involving unmanned drones loaded with explosives. Most incidents were concentrated in dense jungle and mountainous coca-growing regions—areas long associated with armed-group activity and the illegal drug trade. Colombian officials attribute the attacks to the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrillas and dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
Human And Operational Impact
Official statistics show the drone strikes between 2024 and 2025 killed 15 soldiers and wounded 153 more. The new anti-drone programme is presented as a strategic response to reduce casualties and protect security forces, infrastructure and communities at risk.
Wider Defense Procurement
The anti-drone announcement follows a November agreement in which Colombia signed a €3.1 billion ($3.6 billion) deal with Swedish defence firm Saab to purchase 17 Gripen fighter jets over the next five years, part of a broader modernization of the armed forces.
Exchange rate reference: 1 USD = 3,687.32 Colombian pesos.
Reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta; edited for clarity.
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