View source for Military Forces of Colombia

{{Short description|Combined military services of Colombia}}
{{Infobox national military
| country = Colombia
| name = Military Forces of Colombia
| native_name = Fuerzas Militares de Colombia
| image = Escudo Fuerzas Militares de Colombia.svg
| image_size = 150px
| caption = The tri-service badge
| founded = 7 August 1819<br>({{age in years and days|1819|8|7}})
| branches = {{tree list}} 
*{{army|Colombia|size=25px}}
*{{navy|Colombia|size=25px}}
**{{Marines|Colombia|size=25px}}
*{{air force|Colombia|size=25px}}
{{Tree list/end}}
<!-- Leadership -->| commander-in-chief = {{nowrap|[[President of Colombia|President]] [[Gustavo Petro]]}}
| commander-in-chief_title = {{nowrap|Commander-in-Chief}}
| minister = {{nowrap|[[Pedro Arnulfo Sánchez Suárez|Pedro Arnulfo Sànchez]]}}
| minister_title = {{nowrap|Minister of Defense}}
| commander = [[Admiral]] [[Francisco Cubides]]
| commander_title = {{nowrap|[[General Commander of the Military Forces (Colombia)|General Commander]]}}
| headquarters = [[Ministry of National Defense (Colombia)|Ministry of National Defense]], [[Bogota D.C.]]
<!-- Manpower -->| age = 18
| conscription = 18 months (Army and Aerospace Force) <br />  24 months (Navy) <br />  12 Months (National Police)
| active = 429 000 <ref name="IISS_2024">[[#IISS2018|IISS 2018]], pp. 397</ref>
| ranked = 
| reserve = 998 000<ref name="IISS_2024"/>
| deployed = <!-- Financial -->
| amount = 60 Trillion [[Colombian peso|COP]]<br>[[US$]]14.37 billion <small>(2025)</small><ref name="Budget25">{{cite web | url=https://www.presidencia.gov.co/prensa/Paginas/Presupuesto-de-Defensa-aumento-mas-de-55-porciento-entre-2022-y-2025-250714.aspx |title=Presupuesto de Defensa aumentó más de 5,5 % entre 2022 y 2025 |publisher=presidencia.gov.co |access-date=2025-07-29|language=es}}</ref>
| percent_GDP = 4.1% <small>(2025)</small><ref name="Budget25"/> 
<!-- Industrial -->| domestic_suppliers = [[CIAC (company)|CIAC]]<br />[[COTECMAR]]<br />[[INDUMIL]]
| foreign_suppliers = {{flag|Austria}} <br/> {{BEL}} <br /> {{BRA}} <br /> {{CAN}} <br /> {{FRA}} <br /> {{GER}} <br /> {{ESP}} <br /> {{flag|Italy}} <br/> {{SWE}} <br /> {{RSA}} <br/> {{RUS}} <br /> {{ROK}}<br/>{{GBR}} <br /> {{USA}} <br/> <hr> '''Formerly:''' <br/> {{ISR}} (Former)
| imports = 
| exports = <!-- Related articles -->
| history = [[List of wars involving Colombia|Military history of Colombia]]
| ranks = [[Military ranks of the Colombian Armed Forces|Military ranks]]
}}

The '''Military Forces of Colombia''' ({{langx|es|Fuerzas Militares de Colombia|links=no}}) are the unified [[armed forces]] of the [[Colombia|Republic of Colombia]]. They consist of the [[National Army of Colombia|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 Defense (Colombia)|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 ({{lang|es|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 [[Bolívar's campaign to liberate New Granada|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 Colombia]]n Army to replace it, thus establishing the first military service branch of the country.

The Colombian military was operationally involved in [[Colombia during World War II|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 [[War on drugs|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.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.globalfirepower.com/active-military-manpower.asp|title=Total Available Active Military Manpower by Country|access-date=2017-07-30|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.globalfirepower.com/defense-spending-budget.asp|title=Defense Spending by Country|access-date=2017-07-30|language=en-US}}</ref>

==Services==
The [[Colombian Constitution of 1991|Colombian Constitution]] includes two overlapping definitions of what could be defined as 'armed forces' in English:
* The Public Force ({{lang|es|La Fuerza Pública}}): Includes the Military Forces proper '''and''' the National Police (Title VII, chapter VII, Art. 216)
* The Military Forces ({{lang|es|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 [[Civil Guard (Spain)|Spanish Civil Guard]] and the [[Carabineros de Chile]], which maintain military ranks for all police personnel.

==Personnel==

The Colombian armed forces consist of: <br/>
Military Forces:
* [[Colombian Army]]
* [[Colombian Navy]] – and attached services [[Colombian Naval Infantry|Marines]] and [[Colombian Coast Guard]]
* [[Colombian Aerospace Force]]
And, 
* [[National Police of Colombia]]

Public Force strength as of April 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elnuevosiglo.com.co/articulos/4-2014-pie-de-fuerza-aumento-en-42-mil-efectivos|title=Pie de fuerza aumentó en 42 mil efectivos - El Nuevo Siglo Bogotá|website=www.elnuevosiglo.com.co|access-date=2 April 2018}}</ref>

{|class="wikitable collapsible" style="width:50%; margin:1em auto;"
|- style="background-color:#CCCCCC;  align:wrap"
|'''Force'''||'''Service'''
|'''Officers'''||'''Total'''
|-
|Military||{{flagicon image|Escudo Ejercito Nacional de Colombia.svg}} [[Colombian Army]]
|10,094||246,325
|-
|Military||{{flagicon image|Escudo Armada Nacional de Colombia.svg}} [[Colombian Navy]]
|2,481||33,824
|-
|Military||{{flagicon image|Escudo Fuerza Aerea Colombiana.svg}} [[Colombian Aerospace Force]]
|2,679||13,928
|-
|Public||{{flagicon image|Coat of arms of colombian national police.svg}} [[Colombian National Police]]
|6,924||176,557
|- style="background-color:#CCCCCC; font-weight:bold; align=:left"
| colspan="2" |Total
|22,178||470, 634
|}
{{center|Military strength}}

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

==Funding==
In 2000, Colombia assigned 3.9% of its GDP to defense.<ref>{{cite web|title=Cálculo del Gasto en Defensa y Seguridad – GDS|url=https://www.mindefensa.gov.co/irj/go/km/docs/Mindefensa/Documentos/descargas2/anexos/9101_Nota_de_investigacion_01_Calculo_GDS.pdf|website=Ministerio de Defensa Nacional|publisher=Ministerio de Defensa de Colombia|access-date=19 August 2016}}</ref> By 2008 this figure had risen to 4.8%, ranking it 14th in the world.<ref>{{cite web|title=Military expenditure (% of GDP)|url=http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/MS.MIL.XPND.GD.ZS?end=2008&start=1995&year_high_desc=true|website=The World Bank|publisher=The World Bank|access-date=19 August 2016}}</ref> 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==

:{{main article|Military ranks of the Colombian Armed Forces}}

<gallery mode="packed">
File:Colombian Air Force Sikorsky UH-60L Arpía III (S-70A-41) Ramírez-1.jpg|Colombian Aerospace Force [[Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk|Sikorsky UH-60L Arpía III]] (S-70A-41) just after having launched several flares.
File:Infantes de marina colombia.JPG|[[Colombian Naval Infantry|Colombian Marines]]
File:Arc fragata caldas.jpg|[[Colombian Navy]] [[Frigate]] ARC Caldas
File:Special Forces Colombia.jpg|Colombian Special Forces soldiers
File:ARC Almirante Padilla.jpg|A vessel of the Colombian Navy
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Agrupación de Fuerzas Especiales Antiterroristas Urbanas|AFEUR]]
* [[Colombia]]
* [[Colombian Army]]
* [[Colombian military decorations]]
* [[Indumil]]
* [[Joint Task Force OMEGA]]
* [[Military ranks of the Colombian Armed Forces]]

==References and notes==
*{{note|police1}}Includes 435 ''sub-officers'' {{langx|es|Suboficiales}} and 3,125 ''agents'' {{langx|es|Agentes}}
*{{note|police2}}Includes 123,125 executive personnel {{langx|es|Nivel Ejecutivo}} and 23,562 Auxiliary conscript {{langx|es|Auxiliares}}
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.mindefensa.gov.co Ministerio de Defensa de Colombia] – Official Ministry of Defense site {{in lang|es}}
* [http://www.cgfm.mil.co Comando General de las Fuerzas Militares] – Official Armed Forces General Command {{in lang|es}}
* [http://www.ejercito.mil.co Ejército Nacional de Colombia] – Official Army site {{in lang|es}}
* [http://www.army.mil.co Ejército Nacional de Colombia] – Official Army site {{in lang|en}}
* [http://www.armada.mil.co Armada Nacional de Colombia] – Official Navy site ({{in lang|es|en}})
* [http://www.fac.mil.co Fuérza Aeroespacial Colombiana] – Official Aerospace Force site {{in lang|es}}
* [http://www.policia.gov.co Policía Nacional de Colombia] – Official National Police site {{in lang|es}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20081202121743/http://unffmm.com/ UNFFMM ] – Unofficial site of the Colombian Military Forces
{{Wikisource|Constitución de Colombia de 1991}}

===Other Links===
* [http://www.eclac.cl/publicaciones/SecretariaEjecutiva/7/lcg2067/gihaesp.pdf#search=%22gasto%20militar%20colombia%22 Colombian Military expenditure {{in lang|es}}]

== Bibliography ==
*{{cite book| title=The Military Balance 2018| author1=International Institute for Strategic Studies| author-link1=International Institute for Strategic Studies| date=14 February 2018| publisher=[[Routledge]]| location=[[London]]| isbn=9781857439557| ref=IISS2018}}

{{Military of Colombia}}
{{Colombia topics|state=uncollapsed}}
{{Colombia conflict}}
{{Military of South America}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Military Of Colombia}}
[[Category:Military of Colombia]]
[[Category:Ministry of National Defense (Colombia)]]

[[fr:Armée nationale colombienne]]