By Micah Jonah
January 17, 2026
Colombia on Friday launched a $1.68 billion program to develop an anti-drone shield aimed at protecting the country from attacks by unmanned drones operated by illegal armed groups, the country’s Defense Minister, Pedro Arnulfo Sanchez said.
The initiative comes amid Colombia’s six-decade-long internal conflict, which has involved the military, police, leftist guerrillas, former paramilitaries, and drug cartels, leaving more than 450,000 dead.
Minister Sanchez described the project as “one of the boldest and most innovative strategies for our national security and defense,” adding that the government has approved $271.1 million for the first phase. A meeting with countries and companies interested in the program was held in Bogotá, though further details were not disclosed.
Between 2024 and 2025, Colombia recorded 264 drone attacks, mainly in coca-growing regions in the country’s jungles and mountains. The attacks, attributed to the National Liberation Army (ELN) and dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), resulted in 15 soldiers killed and 153 others wounded.
In related defense news, Colombia signed a 3.1 billion-euro ($3.6 billion) deal with Swedish company Saab in November to acquire 17 Gripen fighter jets over the next five years.
