Colombian company Indumil has unveiled the first domestically developed JAGUAR assault rifle.
The Ministry of National Defense of Colombia said military and police specialists were involved in the development.
Head of state Gustavo Petro advocated the development of national weapons production as a basis for the country’s industrialization and warned about the risks of dependence on external suppliers.
The new 5.56 mm weapon is lighter than previous models, has a significant share of polymer components and is designed as a more economical alternative.
The development lasted five years and began in 2020.
Compared to the Galil ACE system currently used by law enforcement agencies and made mainly of steel, the JAGUAR rifle contains about 65% high-strength polymers. This provides about a 15% reduction in weight, higher corrosion resistance and improved mobility for the soldier.
Indumil also said the cost of the new weapon could be about 20% lower than imported counterparts due to the localization of component production.
The name of the rifle was chosen through an open national competition among citizens from different regions of the country.
The president called on the army and national police to purchase only weapons produced in Colombia.
Gustavo Petro also criticized current arms import schemes: “The cartels that mediate the import of weapons are sometimes the ones that fuel the violence,” he said.
The head of state said the city of Socha, where the new weapons will be manufactured, could become a military-industrial cluster, which in the future will include the production of armored vehicles, drones and ships.
If the weapon successfully passes final tests, Petro said he expects the JAGUAR to become an export product.
