Colombia on Wednesday announced it has bought 10 new Blackhawk helicopters due to arrive next year.
In a press release, Vice-minister for Defense Diana Margarita Quintero gave details of the investment plan for the armed forces this year and up until 2014.
The total budget for the Defense sector this year is $12.7 billion, the equivalent of 3.5% of Colombia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). $720 million is from extra resources from state tax.
For 2013 the budget for Defense has been increased to $14.6 billion, more than twice as much as is earmarked for health and nearly $1 billion more than will be spent on education.
A good portion of the extra resources will be invested in the acquisition of the new equipment including 10 new Black Hawk helicopters costing about $15 million each. The sector has also budgeted for military transport planes like the “Hercules” and the “Caza” and will put aside funds for the upgrading of the combat planes of the Air Force in the year 2014.
The Defense budget also includes the incorporation of 20,000 new police and 5,000 new soldiers and the investment in the infrastructure of the Armed Forces of the country.