Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro is one of the world’s most prominent anti-Israel figures, who during the ware accused Israel of genocide and even called for the establishment of an army to liberate Palestine. However, Latin America’s ZM website reports that in the field, Colombia has continued the strategic integration process of Israel Aerospace Industries Barak MX air defense systems, which won a $131.2 million tender in 2022.
According to ZM, the Colombian Air Force is currently integrating the first battery of the system, including the command and control systems and radars. All of the procured batteries are due to be delivered by 2026, with full operational deployment to be completed by 2032. Colombia attaches great importance to the move both due to its interception capabilities and the radar upgrade involved.
The Barak MX system supports various radars and launchers for coverage against fighter jets, helicopters, UAVs, cruise missiles, surface-to-air missiles and surface-to-surface missiles. The system is based on a smart and operationally proven control center, which allows the integration of additional interceptor missiles: the Barak MRAD interceptor, a short-range, vertically launched, high-speed interceptor, adapted to deal with threats within a range of 35 kilometers and includes a radar homing head with only one pulse engine; the Barak LRAD interceptor, a medium-range, vertically launched, high-speed interceptor, adapted to deal with threats within a range of up to 70 km and includes a radar homing head with a dual-pulse engine; and the Barak ER interceptor, a long-range, vertically launched interceptor, including a booster engine, a dual-pulse rocket engine, and an advanced radar homing head. Increasing the interception range of the Barak ER is accomplished by adding a rocket booster and adjusting the communications and radar capabilities to a range of 150 kilometers.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on December 25, 2025.
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd., 2025.
Brilliant-Lab546 on December 25th, 2025 at 18:04 UTC »
To be fair, Colombia's current era of Petro is an anomaly. If I am not wrong, his government was the first left-wing government in like over half a century. All the others have been center right or right wing. In 2026, they will go back to the default and this will no longer be a controversy for them
Wide-Chart-7591 on December 25th, 2025 at 16:04 UTC »
It’s easier for Colombian elites to posture about Israel than to fix Colombia
NotSoSaneExile on December 25th, 2025 at 13:21 UTC »
Colombia, whose president Gustavo Petro is one of the loudest international critics of Israel, is at the same time integrating Israel Aerospace Industries’ Barak MX air defense system into its air force.
The deal, worth about $131 million and signed in 2022, is moving ahead on schedule, with the first battery now being integrated and full deployment planned over the coming years.
Geopolitically, this is both hypocritical and telling.
Publicly, Colombia positions itself as fiercely anti Israel, yet in practice it relies on advanced Israeli technology to protect its own skies.
It shows how even governments that attack Israel politically, still trust and depend on its defense systems when their own security is at stake, exposing a clear gap between rhetoric and real world interests.
Colombia is not unique in this. South Africa, for example, has taken a leading role in attacking Israel over its response to the war initiated from Gaza, while at the same time becoming Israel’s number one coal supplier.