Expodefensa 2025 – Colombian Army presents innovations in communications

The Colombian National Army is presenting some of its Science, Technology, and Innovation projects at Expodefensa 2025. In this context, at one of the stands in the Colombian Army pavilion, three projects focused on strengthening the Military Communications specialty

The first project is the design and national manufacture of rechargeable batteries for L3Harris and Tadiran brand tactical radios. Currently, the Colombian Army’s Communications Brigade manufactures disposable batteries, which, once consumed at the end of their life cycle, pose an environmental pollution risk. The rechargeable battery offers multiple advantages. For one, it withstands hundreds of reuse cycles, weighs half as much as the disposable battery, is much more economical, and once it reaches the end of its useful life, its potential for pollution is much lower than the disposable batteries currently in use.

The second project is complementary to the first. It involves the charger for the reusable batteries. This system is powered by foldable solar panels and/or wind turbines, but can also be connected to the conventional electrical grid. All of this provides significant autonomy to military or police units operating in remote locations.

Finally, the third project, called the Integration Box, acts as a kind of multilingual assistant, allowing the integration of Tadiran, L3Harris, and Motorola equipment into a single network. These devices operate on different frequencies and overcomes certain technical difficulties in interoperability. This Military Communications Integration Box is a highly useful project for this specialty, as its technical capabilities and light weight allow for the rapid establishment of communication networks that include all levels simultaneously, facilitating the transmission of orders and reports.

These Colombian innovations have successfully passed the technical and tactical tests to which they have been subjected and have been approved for gradual deployment in the Colombian Army and subsequently in all branches of the Colombian Armed Forces. They will also become available for international sale.

Photos by D. Hernández