Colombian army tries to outsmart guerrillas using drones

(Patria) - A drone drops explosives on mountainous terrain, breaking the silence of the Andes as the Colombian army enters an arms race with guerrillas who are already using remote-controlled devices to sow chaos.

Hovering up to 1,000 meters high, the remote-controlled device can fire 60-millimeter caliber grenades with an impact that destroys everything within a radius of fifteen meters.

The new device is the latest addition to the army's arsenal as they try to catch up with guerrilla groups, which in recent months have been raining down deadly homemade drones packed with explosives.

The military response comes just days before the presidential election on May 31 and as violence in Colombia reaches its worst level in a decade.

AFP gained exclusive access to demonstrations in the municipality of Sogamoso, about 210 kilometers from Bogota, and watched as sixteen grenades were dropped one by one onto a testing range below.

"This puts us on an equal footing" with illegal groups, said Andres Julian Salamanca, 37, an electrical engineer who helped develop the system.

A paradigm shift

Colombia thus becomes one of the few Latin American countries, along with Venezuela, to use drones to combat crime.

This move marks a paradigm shift for the army, which has fought for decades against guerrilla groups that earn through drug trafficking and illegal mining.

Drawing inspiration from the war between Russia and Ukraine, these groups have turned to drone warfare, carrying out attacks on civilians and military personnel in regions with difficult terrain.

The guerrillas, usually buying them online, use the devices to target schools, indigenous communities, and military bases - so much so that the buzzing of a drone has become synonymous with terror in remote areas.

At least 8,000 drone attacks killed twenty people and injured nearly three hundred in 2025, according to the Ministry of Defense.

"Drones are an essential part of modern warfare. They are becoming cheaper and deadlier," said Willy Gaitan, manager of the state-owned arms manufacturer Indumil's factory in Sogamoso.

The grenade factory also began designing launchers at the request of Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez in October 2023.

Left-wing President Gustavo Petro has promoted domestic arms production after suspending Colombia's partnerships with Israel in 2024.

He also promoted a project worth over $1.6 billion to acquire anti-drone systems.

Cat and mouse

Colombia's defense industry welcomes this development as a technological breakthrough in the fight against armed groups.

Indumil now hopes to increase the number of grenades a drone can carry and increase the caliber of projectiles to enhance their destructive power.

Salamanca called the army's current tactic with the drone a "cat and mouse game."

"As militias gain capabilities, the government seeks ways to counter them," he said.

The conflict-torn country will vote for a new president on Sunday, with polls predicting a second round of elections on June 21 between left-wing senator Ivan Cepeda and right-wing millionaire and lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella.

While Cepeda wants to continue Petro's strategy of peace negotiations with armed groups, De la Espriella promises a complete return to war.