EN 
ES The previous week, the biannual GOCA (Global Offset and Countertrade Association) meeting was held in the city of Cartagena, in which successful experiences of technology transfer that entities in the Colombian defense sector have carried out in pursuit of their strengthening were presented.
One of the successful cases presented by the Minister of Defense, Juan Carlos Pinzón Bello, host of the event, was the technology transfer agreement developed between the Military Industry-INDUMIL and the Israeli Military Industry-IWI.
Below you will find the official press article that details how this agreement was developed.
Bogotá, DC One of the tools that has served the most in the fight against terrorism in Colombia has an Israeli spirit and 'genetics', but is made with 100% Colombian labor and materials.
It is the Galil assault rifle, a weapon created by Israel and whose first construction and design model arrived in the country in 1998. The engineers who built and created the first parts of the weapon in Colombia, followed the instructions given by the Israeli experts who visited the country at that time.
However, five years ago, engineers from the Colombian Military Industry (Indumil), the company in charge of manufacturing the rifles, began to look for a way to convert the AR model – the first – into a more precise and lighter weapon against irregular groups. who committed crimes in the country at that time.
The advances developed with Colombian technology and innovation were presented to the Israeli government, which praised the work carried out by Indumil, authorized the transformation of the rifle and became the largest buyer of Colombian Galil parts for 10 years.
The current technological improvements of the weapon have already modified 45 percent of the total parts of the weapon (43 of 96), with the receiver being the best working piece and whose differences with its first version are most noticeable.
This type of transformation of patents or products made in other countries has been possible due to the agreements and permits that allow the transfer of technology and knowledge through Offset projects, an international strategy of industrial and social cooperation that the Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces have implemented in search of defense and security benefits for Colombia.
In fact, for years Indumil has not only had to advance in the acquisition of sophisticated weapons for the nearly 500 thousand uniformed personnel who today make up the Public Force; It has also had to consolidate a modernization process with countries like Israel and the United States, so as not to succumb to the threat of terrorist groups, drug traffickers and criminal gangs.
From 2008 to date, the Ministry of National Defense has managed to complete 49 Offsets, among which the creation of the H-60L Flight Simulation Center, Sikorsky, stands out; the modernization of T27 aircraft with the Embraer company; the establishment of Advanced Simulation and Training Technologies (Simigon), and improvements to the Israeli Galil assault rifles.
The Galil is the most developed weapons patent that the Colombian military industry has had in its last 16 years. There are about 25 specialized engineers and a thousand workers who are dedicated in Indumil to the production and improvement of rifles for the national and foreign Armed Forces.
In fact, in all this time, Galil's three Colombian models (Ace 21, Ace 22 and Ace 23) have allowed us to improve not only shooting accuracy and weight, but also design and comfort for the shooter.
The analysis includes a constant exchange of information with some Army units that use the weapon daily, soldiers who express their experiences with the rifle. This is how the Indumil team has managed to perfect and present the three different and improved models of the Galil.
national development
The Colombian Galil weighs a thousand grams less than the original Israeli AR (3.9 kilos): it replaced 12 pieces of steel with plastic and redesigned 31 more to increase precision. In addition, its new shape makes it more ergonomic thanks to a shorter barrel: a six-position stock and a device that facilitates the placement of night sights with cutting-edge technology.
According to Henry Ovalle, head of maintenance and assembly at Indumil, between 800 and 1,000 Galil Ace 21, Ace 22 and Ace 23 rifles are manufactured per month, mainly for the Colombian and Israeli Armed Forces.
“The rifles we manufacture here are 50 percent better than the AR,” said Ovalle, who is in charge of supervising the quality control of the parts kits that are exported to the Jews.
In addition to the Galil Ace 21, 22 and 23, Indumil has another offset project of great relevance: the mobile ballistic testing laboratory, where a detailed examination is carried out on all weapons before being delivered for use.
Colonel (r) Luis Carlos Perdomo Vidales, director of the Indumil weapons and ammunition factory, described the production of the Galil in Colombia as a “success story”, a procedure that in October of this year will be 30 percent more quickly with the entry into operation of nine Computerized Numerical Centers (CNP).
“Colombia is the most successful case in the manufacture of the Galil, we are a laboratory of improvement (…) many years ago the manufacture of weapons was an artisanal issue, but today Indumil is moving from craftsmanship to engineering. CNP are machining machines with computerized technology that improve product quality,” Perdomo pointed out.
Fountain: MDN Sector Communications
