Colombia shows interest in acquiring GDLS M1A2 tanks

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Colombia, through its Vice Ministry of Defense for Strategy and Planning, led by Jairo Garcia, has inquired in the USA about the GDLS M1A2 main battle tank (MBT). For this purpose, Vice Minister Garcia, accompanied by a senior officer of the Colombian Army, has made contacts to establish possible negotiation conditions for these combat vehicles.

Colombia’s interest is based on the advanced obsolescence of a considerable part of its armored means, among them the infantry combat vehicle EE-9 Cascavel, the main system of its cavalry, with 40 years of uninterrupted service and with most of the units already out of service.

RENEWAL OF THE ARMORED FLEET

Similarly, and given the recent donation of 145 Textron M1117 vehicles and the purchase a decade ago of 32 GDLS LAV-III, Colombia expects to completely renew its armored fleet with the M1A2s (if this interest materializes), standardizing it with U.S.-made models and incorporating U.S. doctrines and deployment procedures.

The US’s approval of a possible negotiation on this MBT would be based on the current world geopolitical situation (Ukraine war) and the constant threat to Colombian sovereignty by the Bolivarian National Armed Forces of Venezuela (Fanbv), strategic allies of Russia in Latin America.

It should be recalled that Colombia will be declared this month as a NATO preferential ally by the United States, both countries having close relations in defense and security matters.

With information from InfoDefensa