Expodefensa 2025: Colombia's Indumil new 5.56mm rifle offers three modular barrels for medium to extended range.

Colombian state-owned manufacturer Indumil has publicly presented its new 5.56 x 45 mm rifle platform at Expodefensa 2025 in Bogota, in three modular barrel configurations for close, medium, and extended-range engagements. The weapon is intended to align Colombia’s forces with NATO standards and, over time, replace aging 5.56 mm rifles in a security environment that remains active across the country.

Indumil has used Expodefensa 2025, held this week at the Corferias exhibition center in Bogota, to formally showcase its new 5.56 x 45 mm rifle platform, currently displayed under the provisional label "New Fusil Indumil". The state-owned company is positioning the weapon as a modular, NATO-standard system optimized around three barrel lengths, while a national naming contest runs in parallel, with the final designation expected to be announced during the show.
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Indumil’s new 5.56 rifle debuts at Expodefensa 2025, offering modular barrel options and NATO-standard features for Colombia’s armed forces (Picture source: Army Recognition)

Indumil presents a platform chambered in 5.56 mm x 45 mm, the standard caliber of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), in order to meet interoperability requirements sought by the Colombian forces in a security environment that remains active across the country. The presentation at the exhibition underlines the intention of the manufacturer to offer a weapon compliant with international standards and suitable for different mission profiles, from close combat to longer-range precision engagements.

The choice of the 5.56 mm x 45 mm caliber remains central to the rifle’s architecture. This projectile, widely adopted by Western armed forces since the 1980s, is characterized by high muzzle velocity, a flat trajectory, and moderate recoil, which facilitates accurate, controlled bursts. Combined with a short, medium, or long barrel, it allows ballistic performance to be adjusted to the shooter’s needs. Indumil states that the platform is optimized for this caliber, which implies a balance between barrel length, weight, internal geometry, and gas management in order to provide reliability, mechanical endurance, and compatibility with standardized accessories.

The manufacturer details three distinct operational uses according to the proposed barrel lengths. The first corresponds to close combat, or close quarters battle (CQB), for which an 8-inch barrel provides an effective range between 300 and 350 meters. Such a compact configuration meets the needs of units operating in urban or densely wooded environments, where handling takes precedence over maximum range. A weapon of this format facilitates rapid transitions, engagement of short-range targets, and use in light vehicles, while maintaining accuracy compatible with internal security and special operations tasks.

A second, more balanced configuration uses a 13-inch barrel that would offer an effective range between 400 and 500 meters. This setting acts as a compromise between compactness and reach, suitable for infantry patrols operating in mixed areas, both rural and peri-urban. At these distances, the 5.56 mm caliber retains sufficient kinetic energy to neutralize a threat, while the intermediate barrel length improves bullet stability and the consistency of powder combustion. The weapon gains in accuracy and regularity, two important criteria for forces required to operate in varied environments.

The third configuration is intended for longer-range engagements, with an 18-inch barrel that would allow targets to be engaged between 500 and 600 meters. This reach meets the needs of designated marksmen within infantry units, who are often tasked with supporting their section with accurate fire beyond the usual range of assault rifles. Such a barrel length improves the projectile’s muzzle velocity, which reduces drift and increases the reliability of the trajectory. This configuration, often combined with more advanced optics, increases the ability of forces to cover a wider sector and to provide precise support in open or mountainous terrain.

The rifle displayed in Bogota fits into the broader modernization efforts undertaken by Colombia to adapt individual equipment to current standards while consolidating its industrial autonomy. NATO standardization of the caliber also facilitates access to international logistics chains and simplifies ammunition supply. It further enables smoother integration into joint or multinational operations, while remaining consistent with equipment already used by many partner forces in the region.

Through this program, Indumil strengthens its role as a reference manufacturer of light weapons in Colombia. If the “New Fusil Indumil”, soon to receive an official name from the national contest, begins to be adopted by local forces and possibly by other regional users, it could contribute to the wider spread of a family of rifles of Colombian origin. This prospect would reinforce Indumil’s industrial presence and support the controlled proliferation of this model in the Latin American area, within an institutional framework governed by national export policies and applicable international standards.

Written By Erwan Halna du Fretay - Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group

Erwan Halna du Fretay is a graduate of a Master’s degree in International Relations and has experience in the study of conflicts and global arms transfers. His research interests lie in security and strategic studies, particularly the dynamics of the defense industry, the evolution of military technologies, and the strategic transformation of armed forces.