The
President of Colombia is the nominal Commander-in-Chief
of the Armed Forces, but in practice the Minister
of Defense exercises both operational and administrative
control over the Army, Navy Air Force and national
police. The President has the authority to identify
specific portions of the national territory as “operational
theatres” for operations by the “Public
Force” (Armed Forces and National Police). A
Combined Operational Command controls and coordinates
the activities of the three armed services and the
National Police. The armed forces have a key role
in the fight against all terrorism. The total active
manpower of Colombian Armed Forces is around 280,000
personnel, and a Paramilitary force with 110,000 national
police.
The Land Forces of Colombian army are composed with
220,000 soldiers with the structure:
- 7 divisions
- 17 bde
- 6 mech each with 3 inf, 1 mech cav, 1 arty, 1 engr
bn, 2 air-portable each with 2 inf bn, 9 inf (8 with
2 inf bn, 1 with 4 inf bn), 2 arty bn
Army tps
- 9 Mobile Counter Guerrilla Force (bde) (each with1
cdo unit, 4 bn)
- 1 SF bde (4 bn), 1 counter-narcotics bde (3 bn),
1 Border Guard bde, 1 trg bde, 1 army avn ‘bde’
(1 avn, 1 hel bn), 4 high mtn inf bn, 1 anti-terrorism.