EN 
ES Explosives for mining already represent 80 percent of its sales.
An eventual peace agreement between the Government and the FARC in Havana (Cuba) would not affect the Colombian Military Industry (Indumil), which has been gaining market share in other scenarios with new product lines. This was stated by General Gustavo Matamoros, general manager of Indumil, who said that the Military Industry's largest line of business is in explosives for civil use such as mining.
"On that side, we already have a line that is completely dedicated to post-conflict, because it has nothing to do with the production of weapons and ammunition for the Armed Forces," he said.
That segment alone brought 311.273 billion pesos into Indumil's coffers in 2013, representing 80 percent of its total income last year (1Q4T 473.630). The other 20 percent came from, among other things, the manufacture and sale of weapons.
Although the end of the conflict means a reduction in military spending, the Armed Forces will always have a minimum consumption, destined for training and keeping men ready for any threat, which will keep the industry active in the production of weapons and ammunition.
This means that Indumil will continue to supply the forces with rifles and ammunition to maintain their capabilities. The same applies to airborne bombs and grenades.
“Of course we see that the sale of weapons and ammunition will be affected, but we are in the process of developing other things and one of them is the Córdoba pistol, which is a self-defense weapon,” added Matamoros. The goal is to use the Córdova to supply the local market that was previously supplied with foreign weapons.
Abroad, the bulk of the business is related to the production of the Galil Ace rifle, parts of which are mainly sent to Israel, the main buyer. The others are Panama, Peru, Mexico, Paraguay and Chile.
The company is also entering into new businesses with the production of clean energy generation systems. They already have orders for 100 devices for farms located in the plains, these systems do not exceed a million pesos.
These are solar panels, wind generators and hand-cranked generators that can charge car batteries, electrify fences, connect them to the electrical grid of a home for domestic use and in cases of natural disasters, these systems would also help the Armed Forces to provide tools to meet some of the needs of those affected.
Another issue that involves the post-conflict and the Ministry of Defense is the one that has to do with those amputees in combat or people who are victims of anti-personnel mines, for which knee, foot and arm prostheses are being developed.
“This is going to be a total post-conflict issue. Prosthetics have to be changed every five years, so that is going to be a line that would greatly help the country's amputees,” Matamoros said.
Indumil is also working on the development of a low-metal mine detector, which it has worked on hand in hand with the University of the Andes and which is expected to be a key tool for humanitarian demining work when peace is signed.
"We have been thinking about post-conflict and we are creating some lines so that the machinery and experience we have are not kept in storage, but rather we have the capacity to produce and contribute to the development of the country," Matamoros said.
Armies around the world are becoming smaller and smaller, but technologically more advanced. The national army will have to enter that phase of having only a deterrent force, because security will be transferred to the citizens and that is where the police play a more important role.
"We must have an army that trains daily, that shoots daily, that has to maintain its weapons, and then the military industry will continue with its support for the Armed Forces," said the general.
Source: Judicial Editorial Office/ El Tiempo.
