Expodefensa 2025 – SMART Project, strengthening military intelligence

The Colombian Army’s Intelligence and Counterintelligence Brigade, in cooperation with Sergio Arboleda University and the Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies, has developed the first prototype of the SMART project, an acronym for Modular Multimission Unmanned Aircraft System

This project consists of a drone specifically designed to conduct intelligence missions over the operational area. It comprises a quadcopter platform equipped with a LIDAR sensor, a multispectral camera, an RGB camera, and other classified components, all integrated via a Jetson Nano electronic control unit.

This project began in 2019, but its development was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. On this occasion, the Intelligence and Counterintelligence Brigade is bringing this technology to Expodefensa 2025 to demonstrate its research and development capabilities. This also allows us to appreciate how the Colombian Army is keeping pace with global security and defense trends, incorporating modern technologies into its operations, in this particular case, military intelligence.

This project is under continuous improvement, and soon, after completing the corresponding technical tests, it will enter production and be distributed to different units. It will also be available for international sale to friendly governments.

Photos by D. Hernández