Military Forces of Colombia

Combined military services of Colombia

Military Forces of Colombia

Fuerzas Militares de Colombia

The tri-service badge

Founded| 7 August 1819
(206 years, 4 days)
Service branches|

* Colombian National Army
* Colombian National Navy
* Colombian Naval Infantry
* Colombian Aerospace Force

Headquarters| Ministry of National Defense, Bogota D.C.
Leadership
Commander-in-Chief| President Gustavo Petro
Minister of Defense| Iván Velásquez
General Commander| Major General Helder Fernan Giraldo
Personnel
Military age| 18
Conscription| 18 months (Army and Aerospace Force)
24 months (Navy)
12 Months (National Police)
Active personnel| 429 000 [1]
Reserve personnel| 998 000[1]
Expenditure
Budget| 60 Trillion COP
US$14.37 billion (2025)[2]
Percent of GDP| 4.1% (2025)[2]
Industry
Domestic suppliers| CIAC
COTECMAR
INDUMIL
Foreign suppliers|  Belgium
Brazil
Canada
France
Germany
Spain
Sweden
Russia
United Kingdom
United States

* * *

Former :
Israel
Related articles
History| Military history of Colombia
Ranks| Military ranks

The Military Forces of Colombia (Spanish: Fuerzas Militares de Colombia) are the unified armed forces of the Republic of Colombia. They consist of the Colombian Army, the Colombian Navy and the Colombian Aerospace Force. The National Police of Colombia, although technically not part of the military, is controlled and administered by the Ministry of National Defence, and national conscription also includes service in the National Police, thus making it a de facto gendarmerie and a branch of the military. The President of Colombia is the military's commander in chief, and helps formulate defense policy through the Ministry of National Defence, which is in charge of day-to-day operations.

The Military Forces of Colombia have their roots in the Army of the Commoners (Ejército de los Comuneros), which was formed on 7 August 1819 – before the establishment of the present day Colombia – to meet the demands of the Revolutionary War against the Spanish Empire. After their triumph in the war, the Army of the Commoners disbanded, and the Congress of Angostura created the Gran Colombian Army to replace it, thus establishing the first military service branch of the country.

The Colombian military was operationally involved in World War II and was the only Latin American country to send troops to the Korean War. Ever since the advent of the Colombian Conflict, the Colombian military has been involved in combat, pacification, counter-insurgency, and drug interdiction operations all over the country's national territory. Recently it has participated in counter-piracy efforts in the Horn of Africa under Operation Ocean Shield and Operation Atalanta.

The military of Colombia is the third largest in the Western Hemisphere in terms of active personnel and has the fourth largest expenditure in the Americas, behind the United States Armed Forces, the Canadian Armed Forces and the Brazilian Armed Forces respectively.[3][4]

## Services

[edit]

The Colombian Constitution includes two overlapping definitions of what could be defined as 'armed forces' in English:

* The Public Force (La Fuerza Pública): Includes the Military Forces proper and the National Police (Title VII, chapter VII, Art. 216)
* The Military Forces (Las Fuerzas Militares): Includes only the 3 major military service branches: Army, Navy and Aerospace Force (Title VII, chapter VII, Art. 217)

This is a subtle yet important distinction, both in terms of emphasizing the civil nature of the National Police, but also adapting the national police to function as a paramilitary force which can perform military duties as a result of the Colombian Conflict. This has led to some of the most important police units adopting military training and conducting special operations alongside the Colombian Army, Aerospace Force, and Navy. Therefore, the functions of the Colombian Police in practical terms are similar to those of a gendarmerie, like the Spanish Civil Guard and the Carabineros de Chile, which maintain military ranks for all police personnel.

## Personnel

[edit]

The Colombian armed forces consist of:
Military Forces:

* Colombian Army
* Colombian Navy – and attached services Marines and Colombian Coast Guard
* Colombian Aerospace Force

And,

* National Police of Colombia

Public Force strength as of April 2014.[5]

Force | Service | Officers | Total

|
|
|

Military |  Colombian Army | 10,094 | 246,325
Military |  Colombian Navy | 2,481 | 33,824
Military |  Colombian Aerospace Force | 2,679 | 13,928
Public |  Colombian National Police | 6,924 | 176,557
Total  | 22,178 | 470, 634

Military strength

### Dependencies

[edit]

* Military Medical Corps ('Sanidad Militar') – Medical and Nurse Corps
* Indumil (Industrias Militares – INDUMIL) – Military Industry Depot
* Military Sports Federation (Federación Deportiva Militar – FEDECODEMIL)
* Military Printing (Imprenta Militar)
* Military Museum (Museo Militar) – History of the Armed Forces of Colombia
* Superior War College (Escuela Superior de Guerra (Colombia) ESDEGUE)

## Funding

[edit]

In 2000, Colombia assigned 3.9% of its GDP to defense.[6] By 2008 this figure had risen to 4.8%, ranking it 14th in the world.[7] The armed forces number about 250,000 uniformed personnel: 145,000 military and 105,000 police. These figures do not include assistance personnel such as cooks, medics, mechanics, and so on. This makes the Colombian military one of the largest and most well-equipped in Latin America. Many Colombian military personnel have received military training assistance directly in Colombia and also in the United States. The United States has provided equipment and financing to the Colombian military and police through the military assistance program, foreign military sales, and the international narcotics control program, all currently united under the auspices of Plan Colombia.

## Rank Insignia

[edit]

Main article: Military ranks of the Colombian Armed Forces

* Colombian Aerospace Force Sikorsky UH-60L Arpía III (S-70A-41) just after having launched several flares.

* Colombian Marines

* Colombian Navy Frigate ARC Caldas

* Colombian Special Forces soldiers

* A vessel of the Colombian Navy

## See also

[edit]

* AFEUR
* Colombia
* Colombian Army
* Colombian military decorations
* Indumil
* Joint Task Force OMEGA
* Military ranks of the Colombian Armed Forces

## References and notes

[edit]

* ^ Includes 435 sub-officers Spanish: Suboficiales and 3,125 agents Spanish: Agentes
* ^ Includes 123,125 executive personnel Spanish: Nivel Ejecutivo and 23,562 Auxiliary conscript Spanish: Auxiliares

1. ^ a b IISS 2018, pp. 397
2. ^ a b "Presupuesto de Defensa aumentó más de 5,5 % entre 2022 y 2025" (in Spanish). presidencia.gov.co. Retrieved 2025-07-29.
3. ^ "Total Available Active Military Manpower by Country". Retrieved 2017-07-30.
4. ^ "Defense Spending by Country". Retrieved 2017-07-30.
5. ^ "Pie de fuerza aumentó en 42 mil efectivos - El Nuevo Siglo Bogotá". www.elnuevosiglo.com.co. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
6. ^ "Cálculo del Gasto en Defensa y Seguridad – GDS" (PDF). Ministerio de Defensa Nacional. Ministerio de Defensa de Colombia. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
7. ^ "Military expenditure (% of GDP)". The World Bank. The World Bank. Retrieved 19 August 2016.

## External links

[edit]

* Ministerio de Defensa de Colombia – Official Ministry of Defense site (in Spanish)
* Comando General de las Fuerzas Militares – Official Armed Forces General Command (in Spanish)
* Ejército Nacional de Colombia – Official Army site (in Spanish)
* Ejército Nacional de Colombia – Official Army site (in English)
* Armada Nacional de Colombia – Official Navy site ((in Spanish and English))
* Fuérza Aeroespacial Colombiana – Official Aerospace Force site (in Spanish)
* Policía Nacional de Colombia – Official National Police site (in Spanish)
* UNFFMM  – Unofficial site of the Colombian Military Forces

English Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Constitución de Colombia de 1991

### Other Links

[edit]

* Colombian Military expenditure (in Spanish)

## Bibliography

[edit]

* International Institute for Strategic Studies (14 February 2018). The Military Balance 2018. London: Routledge. ISBN 9781857439557.

* v
* t
* e

Military of Colombia

Service Branches|

* Army
* Aerospace Force
* Navy ("Armada")
* Comando de Guardacostas

Army|

| Divisions|

* 1
* 2
* 3
* 4
* 5
* 6
* 7
* 8

|

* Airborne Unit
* OMEGA
* AFEUR
* Ranks & insignias
* Lancero

Navy|

* Active ships
* Decommissioned ships
* Almirante Padilla-class frigates
* Type 209 submarines
* ARC Gloria
* Navy ranks & insignias
* Marine Infantry ranks & insignias

Aerospace Force|

* Ct. German Molano Air Base
* Ct. Luis Gomez Air Base
* Maj. Alberto Pauwels Rodríguez Air Base
* Lt Col. Luis Pinto Air Base
* BG Arturo Lema Posada Air Base
* Ct.Ernesto Esguerra Air Base
* BG. Camilo Daza Álvarez Air Base
* My.Justino Marino Air Base
* Cl. Luis Rodriguez Air Base
* Lt Col. Benjamín Méndez Rey Air Base
* Marco Fidel Suárez Air Base (EMAVI)
* Ranks & Insignias

Wars and Conflicts|

* Gran Colombia–Peru War
* Supremes War
* Gran Colombia-Ecuador Conflict
* Colombia-Peru War
* La Violencia Era
* Korean War
* Colombian internal conflict

Related dependencies|

* COTECMAR
* Indumil
* SATENA

* Military ranks of the Colombian Armed Forces
* Ministry of National Defense
* National Police of Colombia
* DAS

* v
* t
* e

Colombia articles

History|

* Timeline
* Indigenous peoples
* Muisca Confederation
* Spanish conquest
* Kingdom of New Granada
* Viceroyalty of New Granada
* First Republic of New Granada
* United Provinces of New Granada
* Military career of Simón Bolívar
* Wars of independence
* Gran Colombia (reunification)
* Republic of New Granada
* Granadine Confederation
* United States of Colombia
* Republic of Colombia
* Colombian Civil War of 1895
* Thousand Days' War
* Secession of Panama
* Colombia–Peru War
* World War II
* La Violencia
* National Front
* Colombian conflict
* Colombian peace process

Geography|

* Biodiversity
* Fauna
* Flora
* Climate
* Geology
* Mountains
* Islands
* Rivers
* National parks (Protected Areas)
* Cities and towns
* Natural hazards
* Environmental issues
* Invasive species
* World Heritage Sites

Natural regions|

* Amazon
* Andean
* Caribbean
* Insular
* Orinoquía
* Pacific/Chocó

Subdivisions|

* Departments
* Municipalities
* Metropolitan areas
* Capital District
* Corregimientos
* Indigenous territories

Politics|

* Political parties
* Elections
* Ideologies
* Liberalism
* Conservatism
* Communism

Governance|

* Constitution
* Control
* Auditor General
* Comptroller General
* Inspector General
* Ombudsman
* Executive
* Council of Ministers
* Government agencies
* President
* Vice President
* Foreign relations
* Judiciary
* Congress
* Police

Military|

* Aerospace Force
* Army
* Navy

Economy|

* Central bank
* Companies
* Economic history
* Agriculture
* Industry
* Mineral industry
* Peso (currency)
* Stock exchange
* Science and technology
* Communications
* Taxation
* Trade unions
* Tourism
* Transportation

Society|

* Abortion
* Colombians
* list
* Demographics
* Education
* Languages
* Religion
* Race and ethnicity
* Health care
* Water supply and sanitation
* Women

Culture|

* Archaeological sites
* Architecture
* Art
* Cinema
* Cuisine
* World Heritage Sites
* Carnivals
* Festivals
* Folklore
* Handicrafts
* Literature
* Mass media
* Muisca
* Mythology
* Religion
* Music
* Theater
* National symbols
* Coat of arms
* Flag
* Public holidays
* Freedom of religion in Colombia
* Miss Colombia
* Video games in Colombia
* Sport

Issues|

* Human rights
* Intersex
* LGBTQ
* Immigration
* Emigration
* Poverty
* Smoking
* Crime
* Drug trafficking
* Corruption
* Terrorism
* Guerrilla movements
* Right-wing paramilitarism
* Colombia in popular culture

* Outline
* Index

* Category
* Portal

* v
* t
* e

Colombian conflict (1964–present)

Participants

Timeline

Key aspects

* La Violencia (1948–1958)
* Marquetalia Republic
* The National Front
* Dominican Embassy siege (1980)
* Palace of Justice siege (1985)
* DAS Building bombing (1989)
* Patriotic Union Party extermination
* Humanitarian exchange

* Mapiripán Massacre (1997)
* El Caguán DMZ
* Failed peace process (1999–2002)
* Bojayá massacre (2002)
* Valle del Cauca Deputies hostage crisis (2002–2009)
* El Nogal Club bombing (2003)
* Neiva bombing (2003)

* Parapolitics scandal (2006–2007)
* Operation Emmanuel
* "False positives" scandal
* Andean diplomatic crisis (2008)
* Operation Jaque (2008)
* Operation Fenix (2008)

* Nariño massacres (2009)
* 2013 Colombian clashes
* Renewed peace process (2012–present)
* Peace agreement referendum (2016)
* 2022 Huila attack
* Total Peace concept
* Catatumbo campaign
* 2025 Catatumbo clashes

Government aspects

* Democratic security
* Plan Colombia
* Plan Patriota
* Colombia–United States relations
* Human rights in Colombia
* Politics of Colombia

* * *

Illegal drug trade

* Illegal drug trade in Colombia
* War on drugs
* Operation Snowcap
* Narcoterrorism
* Catatumbo campaign

* * *

Kidnappings

* Kidnappings in Colombia
* FARC political hostages

* * *

Lawsuits

* Sinaltrainal v. Coca-Cola (2001)
* Rodriquez v. Drummond (2003)
* Doe v. Chiquita (2007)

Guerrillas
| Government of Colombia | Paramilitaries

* ELN
* EPL
* FARC dissidents

* * *

Former guerrillas

* FARC-EP
* List of FARC attacks
* M19
* MOEC
* CGSB
* ERP
* MAQL
* FARIP

* * *

Linked to

* PCCC
* São Paulo Forum
* PC de C (M-L)
* Cuban revolutionaries
* Provisional IRA
* Colombia Three
* ETA
* ANNCOL
* Fighters+Lovers
* Colombian drug cartels
* Some Colombian politicians

* Military Forces of Colombia:
* National Army
* Air Force
* Navy
* Colombian Naval Infantry
* National Police
* Other:

* Migración Colombia
* Attorney General units

* * *

Former government program

* CONVIVIR

* * *

Linked to

* DynCorp International
* United Nations
* Mission in Colombia
* European Union
* United States
* Canada

* Águilas Negras
* Los Rastrojos
* Clan del Golfo

* * *

Former paramilitaries

* AUC
* AAA

* * *

Linked to

* Spearhead Ltd
* CONVIVIR
* Colombian drug cartels
* Mexican drug cartels
* Some Colombian
military personnel
* Some Colombian politicians

* v
* t
* e

Militaries of the Americas

Sovereign states|

* Antigua and Barbuda
* Argentina
* Bahamas
* Barbados
* Belize
* Bolivia
* Brazil
* Canada
* Chile
* Colombia
* Cuba
* Dominican Republic
* Ecuador
* El Salvador
* Guatemala
* Guyana
* Haiti
* Honduras
* Jamaica
* Mexico
* Nicaragua
* Paraguay
* Peru
* Saint Kitts and Nevis
* Suriname
* Trinidad and Tobago
* United States
* Uruguay
* Venezuela

Dependencies and
other territories|

* Anguilla
* Aruba
* Bermuda
* British Virgin Islands
* Caribbean Netherlands (Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba)
* Cayman Islands
* Curaçao
* Falkland Islands
* French Guiana
* Greenland
* Guadeloupe
* Martinique
* Montserrat
* Puerto Rico
* Saint Barthélemy
* Saint Martin, (Collectivity of)
* Saint Pierre and Miquelon
* Sint Maarten
* South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
* Turks and Caicos Islands
* United States Virgin Islands

Sovereign states of Costa Rica, Dominica, Grenada, Panama, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines have no military and thus are not included in the list. The dependent territory of Federal Dependencies of Venezuela (Venezuela) is not listed. The integral area of Ascension Island (United Kingdom) is not listed. The uninhabited islands of Bouvet Island (Norway), Clipperton Island (France) and Navassa Island (United States) are not listed. The uninhabited disputed territories of Bajo Nuevo Bank and Serranilla Bank are not listed.

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* United States

Other|

* Yale LUX

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template