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Expodefensa 2025: Indumil presents GADCI drone grenade and SLAGA pod for precision strikes.
Indumil introduced its GADCI air-delivered grenade and SLAGA lightweight deployment pod during Expodefensa 2025 in Bogota. The tandem system signals Colombia’s push to field scalable drone-delivered strike options suited to regional missions.
During Expodefensa 2025 in Bogota, Colombian state-owned manufacturer Indumil publicly unveiled its GADCI air-delivered grenade and the associated SLAGA deployment pod, a tandem system conceived from the outset for use on unmanned aerial systems (UAS). In a context where armed forces worldwide are adapting commercial and military drones to deliver munitions, this new solution illustrates Colombia’s ambition to structure its own response to the growing role of robotics on the battlefield. By combining an aerially deployed grenade with a lightweight carbon-fiber carrier, Indumil seeks to provide the Colombian armed forces with a rapid-reaction asset tailored to regional operational realities. The system’s presentation is particularly relevant for militaries looking for scalable, low-signature strike options that remain under tight human control.
Colombia’s Indumil positions the GADCI and SLAGA as a concrete response to the tactical and strategic questions raised by the militarisation of drones (Picture Source: Army Recognition)
At the heart of the concept lies the GADCI grenade, designed specifically for tactical quick-response missions. According to Indumil, the munition is intended to neutralise personnel, vehicles and unarmoured weapon systems, filling the gap between traditional hand grenades and larger air-delivered ordnance. Unlike improvised solutions seen in recent conflicts, the GADCI is an industrial product engineered from the start for aerial release: its geometry, fuzing and safety architecture are all optimised for carriage under a drone and for a stable fall towards the target area. The grenade incorporates three independent safety devices that must be removed before it is placed into the SLAGA pod, helping to secure handling on the ground and during loading procedures while still enabling activation in flight once all checks have been completed.
The second element of the system is the SLAGA, a carbon-fiber container that serves both as carrier and controlled-release mechanism for one or several GADCI grenades. Designed to be mounted on unmanned aerial platforms, the SLAGA interfaces mechanically and electrically with the UAS and provides the operator with a precise release function. Its lightweight composite construction aims to preserve the drone’s range and endurance, a critical factor when operating at altitude or in hot-and-high environments typical of many Colombian regions. By concentrating the opening and release functions within the pod rather than the drone, Indumil offers a modular payload that can theoretically be integrated onto different classes of UAS without major structural modifications.
The system is conceived to be used by two operators: one pilot dedicated to flying the drone and one payload operator in charge of arming and triggering the GADCI release. This distribution of tasks mirrors practices adopted by air forces and ground units in other countries for more complex UAV systems and allows each operator to focus on a specific part of the mission. Once the drone reaches the target area, the payload operator can employ the SLAGA to drop the grenade at the desired moment, enabling precise engagement of exposed vehicles, positions or material without exposing friendly forces. Because the grenade is released remotely, the entire strike sequence can be conducted from a protected location, which is particularly relevant for internal security missions, border monitoring or operations in dense urban areas where ground access is limited or risky.
From a strategic perspective, the adoption of the GADCI–SLAGA combination by the Colombian Air Force reflects broader trends in Latin America and beyond. Drones, once primarily used for surveillance, are increasingly becoming platforms for effectors, offering armed forces relatively low-cost strike capabilities with reduced collateral risk when used with observation and identification procedures. For Colombia, a country confronted with diverse security challenges and complex geography, an indigenous air-delivered grenade system strengthens operational autonomy and reduces dependence on foreign suppliers for certain categories of munitions. At the geostrategic level, such developments also signal that mid-size powers are fully entering the era of drone-delivered precision effects, which may, over time, influence regional balances as neighbouring states observe and potentially seek comparable capabilities.
By bringing together a purpose-built aerial grenade, a dedicated carbon-fiber deployment pod and an operational concept already in service with its air force, Colombia’s Indumil positions the GADCI and SLAGA as a concrete response to the tactical and strategic questions raised by the militarisation of drones. The system underscores how carefully controlled, remotely delivered munitions can offer armed forces flexibility and responsiveness, while highlighting the need for doctrine, training and export policies adapted to this emerging class of weapons.