The Colombian Navy: Innovation at the Service of Regional Stability
The MOC
By
Captain Jose Manuel Gomez Torres
May 2, 2023
The Colombian Navy has a strong, fruitful, and growing relationship with the U.S. maritime services. Colombia’s strategic location in addition to its military’s willingness to and innovation in finding ways to counter common threats makes it a great ally for global and regional stability. Colombia’s status as a major non-NATO ally, declared by President Biden in 2022, as well as its current relationship with NATO as a global partner, demonstrates such relationships.
The Colombian Navy’s strategic vision, which includes growing in regional projection and influence, has been relevant for the development of maritime and riverine interests, as well as contributing to the country’s progress.
Its cooperation in the maritime domain includes ties with the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Coast Guard, in addition to other U.S. government agencies. This demonstrates the complexity of Colombian Navy as a multi-role institution with components and responsibilities at sea, in main rivers, and also over land in important parts of Colombian territory.
The Colombian Navy’s capabilities range from defense, with frigates and diesel electric submarines; constabulary, with Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV), Coastal Patrol Vessels (CPV), and Landing Craft Units (LCU) (several of them built and even designed in Colombia, with some exports to Latin-American navies); as well as riverine, and naval aviation, to cover its 928,000 square kilometers of responsibility at sea and more than 10,000 kilometers of rivers. The Colombian Navy is made of more than 30,000 personnel, including one of the largest Marine Corps in the globe.
Operations and Training
Current cooperation includes operations such as ORION, a multinational campaign led by the Colombian Navy with U.S. support, involves 41 countries and 106 institutions from America, Africa, and Europe to counter illicit drugs trafficking. This naval operation could be a reference model for fighting and tackling other threats, since its decentralized nature allows for the exchange of information, where every country uses it in a coordinated manner within its available means, own doctrine, and procedures. There have been ten campaigns so far, with increasing global participation. Colombia also participates in several exercises led by the U.S. maritime services including UNITAS, PANAMAX, RIMPAC, DESI, and TRADEWINDS that increase the interoperability and training for global and regional defense and security.
Education and Research
The Colombian Navy has been a successful example of international cooperation over the past two decades. For example, over the last nine years, it has also been exporting cooperation through the Joint Action Plan for Regional Security Colombia – United States (USCAP). This program includes triangular cooperation in which the U.S. provides funding while Colombia provides military instructors and mobile training teams. As a result, Colombia has trained 2,946 people in seven countries and another 222 people in Colombian Navy training schools. Colombia has developed international training schools for the Coast Guard and for Riverine Warfare, offering courses for its own personnel as well as opportunities for regional partners including the U.S. It is also important to highlight Colombia’s creation of an international center for research and analysis against drug trafficking, with the participation of foreign partner navy researchers.
Product Innovation
Science, technology, and innovation in the Colombian Navy also includes a growing naval sector, led by the science and technology state owned company, COTECMAR, which has been building vessels of increasing complexity for the Colombian Navy over the last 20 years. Current projects include an Offshore Patrol Vessel and a Logistics Support Vessel, both locally designed, and a frigate that uses a foreign design with transfer of technology. Through COTECMAR, the Colombian Navy has focused on finding affordable solutions for its operational needs and has been able to export those capabilities regionally.
Looking Ahead
The Colombian Navy’s expertise, leadership, and capabilities are key to countering transnational threats in the maritime domain, given its characteristic as a multi-role navy with blue water capabilities, coastguard, naval special forces, marine corps, and naval aviation. The institution has the strategic vision for a bigger role and increasing responsibilities within the region and a proven record of innovation and operational success. However, its jurisdictional waters are very extensive compared to the availability of naval and airborne assets. Thus, to fulfill its vision, the Colombian Navy requires more cooperation from partners to increase its effectiveness in supporting regional stability.
Captain Jose Manuel Gomez Torresis an active-duty officer in the Colombian Navy, currently serving as Naval Attaché to the Colombian Embassy in the United States. With 28 years of service, his last decade has been working in defense projects in the navy and in the shipyard and science and technology company, COTECMAR, where he worked as Science and Technology Manager, and Strategic Projects Manager. He holds a Bachelors degree in Naval Engineering Electronics from the Colombian Naval Academy, a Master of Sciences in Mechanical Engineering, and a Master of Science in Systems Engineering from Naval Postgraduate School, and he is a member of the 2016 class of the U.S. Naval War College.
The views expressed in this piece are the sole opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Center for Maritime Strategy or other institutions listed.
Center for Maritime Strategy
By Captain Jose Manuel Gomez Torres
The Colombian Navy has a strong, fruitful, and growing relationship with the U.S. maritime services. Colombia’s strategic location in addition to its military’s willingness to and innovation in finding ways to counter common threats makes it a great ally for global and regional stability. Colombia’s status as a major non-NATO ally, declared by President Biden in 2022, as well as its current relationship with NATO as a global partner, demonstrates such relationships.
The Colombian Navy’s strategic vision, which includes growing in regional projection and influence, has been relevant for the development of maritime and riverine interests, as well as contributing to the country’s progress.
Its cooperation in the maritime domain includes ties with the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Coast Guard, in addition to other U.S. government agencies. This demonstrates the complexity of Colombian Navy as a multi-role institution with components and responsibilities at sea, in main rivers, and also over land in important parts of Colombian territory.
The Colombian Navy’s capabilities range from defense, with frigates and diesel electric submarines; constabulary, with Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV), Coastal Patrol Vessels (CPV), and Landing Craft Units (LCU) (several of them built and even designed in Colombia, with some exports to Latin-American navies); as well as riverine, and naval aviation, to cover its 928,000 square kilometers of responsibility at sea and more than 10,000 kilometers of rivers. The Colombian Navy is made of more than 30,000 personnel, including one of the largest Marine Corps in the globe.
Operations and Training
Current cooperation includes operations such as ORION, a multinational campaign led by the Colombian Navy with U.S. support, involves 41 countries and 106 institutions from America, Africa, and Europe to counter illicit drugs trafficking. This naval operation could be a reference model for fighting and tackling other threats, since its decentralized nature allows for the exchange of information, where every country uses it in a coordinated manner within its available means, own doctrine, and procedures. There have been ten campaigns so far, with increasing global participation. Colombia also participates in several exercises led by the U.S. maritime services including UNITAS, PANAMAX, RIMPAC, DESI, and TRADEWINDS that increase the interoperability and training for global and regional defense and security.
Education and Research
The Colombian Navy has been a successful example of international cooperation over the past two decades. For example, over the last nine years, it has also been exporting cooperation through the Joint Action Plan for Regional Security Colombia – United States (USCAP). This program includes triangular cooperation in which the U.S. provides funding while Colombia provides military instructors and mobile training teams. As a result, Colombia has trained 2,946 people in seven countries and another 222 people in Colombian Navy training schools. Colombia has developed international training schools for the Coast Guard and for Riverine Warfare, offering courses for its own personnel as well as opportunities for regional partners including the U.S. It is also important to highlight Colombia’s creation of an international center for research and analysis against drug trafficking, with the participation of foreign partner navy researchers.
Product Innovation
Science, technology, and innovation in the Colombian Navy also includes a growing naval sector, led by the science and technology state owned company, COTECMAR, which has been building vessels of increasing complexity for the Colombian Navy over the last 20 years. Current projects include an Offshore Patrol Vessel and a Logistics Support Vessel, both locally designed, and a frigate that uses a foreign design with transfer of technology. Through COTECMAR, the Colombian Navy has focused on finding affordable solutions for its operational needs and has been able to export those capabilities regionally.
Looking Ahead
The Colombian Navy’s expertise, leadership, and capabilities are key to countering transnational threats in the maritime domain, given its characteristic as a multi-role navy with blue water capabilities, coastguard, naval special forces, marine corps, and naval aviation. The institution has the strategic vision for a bigger role and increasing responsibilities within the region and a proven record of innovation and operational success. However, its jurisdictional waters are very extensive compared to the availability of naval and airborne assets. Thus, to fulfill its vision, the Colombian Navy requires more cooperation from partners to increase its effectiveness in supporting regional stability.
Captain Jose Manuel Gomez Torres is an active-duty officer in the Colombian Navy, currently serving as Naval Attaché to the Colombian Embassy in the United States. With 28 years of service, his last decade has been working in defense projects in the navy and in the shipyard and science and technology company, COTECMAR, where he worked as Science and Technology Manager, and Strategic Projects Manager. He holds a Bachelors degree in Naval Engineering Electronics from the Colombian Naval Academy, a Master of Sciences in Mechanical Engineering, and a Master of Science in Systems Engineering from Naval Postgraduate School, and he is a member of the 2016 class of the U.S. Naval War College.
The views expressed in this piece are the sole opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Center for Maritime Strategy or other institutions listed.