The rapid diffusion of drone warfare in Colombia offers a useful case study in how commercial technology can alter the balance between states and armed groups. Nelson AI, a geopolitical risk analysis platform that uses AI to produce data-driven security assessments, describes in “Drone Warfare in Colombia” how Colombia’s insurgent and criminal organizations have effectively contested the government’s long-standing monopoly over low-altitude airspace. The article’s most striking finding is the pace of adaptation. Armed groups have moved from modified commercial quadcopters to FPV strike drones, thermal imaging systems, and even fiber-optic-controlled platforms that can evade conventional jamming. Drawing lessons from conflicts abroad, particularly Ukraine, these organizations have compressed innovation cycles that once took years into months.

Full report : How Armed Groups Are Contesting Colombia’s Airspace With Drones.