Colombia's military maintains a very high readiness level for its 155mm artillery systems. This information was disclosed in response to media reports about problems with these weapons, which caused two incidents between 2022 and 2025, resulting in one military death and several injuries.
However, Colombia officially stated these cases are not related to any technical malfunctions of artillery systems or improper maintenance. Investigations of these incidents are ongoing today, Zone Militar reports.
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They also emphasized that the readiness of 155/52 APU-SBT 155mm howitzers is maintained at a very high level. Of the available fleet, most systems specifically 90% are combat-ready, while the remaining 10% are undergoing scheduled maintenance.
These howitzers are operated in combat against ELN and FARC. Approximately 6,000 rounds were reportedly fired over the past year through early this year, which according to the publication reflects active use of this artillery weapon, though this translates to only 400 rounds per howitzer.
Recall that Colombia's military has a total of 15 155/52 APU-SBT howitzers delivered in 2006-2007, meaning they are now 19-20 years old. This modification was made by the Spanish company Santa Bárbara Sistemas specifically for the Colombian military order, which initially envisioned delivery of 25 155/52 APU-SBT artillery systems.
In 2023, Colombian howitzers were modernized with the Neli fire control system from Integrated Defense Solutions, which is compatible with NATO member country equipment.
Previously, Defense Express reported that an audit confirmed the $220 million per-unit Gripen price for Colombia is transparent and lawful.
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