A joint Colombian–American development against the drone threat.
LINCE is a joint development of Colombian and American companies. It was born from a concrete need: the new asymmetric warfare of low-cost drones, in which an aircraft costing a few hundred dollars can put a military base, a government site or an entire town at risk.
The asymmetric warfare of cheap drones.
A commercial drone costs less than five million Colombian pesos.7 With it, armed groups surveil, harass and attack soldiers, police and civilians. Defending with million-dollar missiles and radars doesn't scale. That is asymmetric warfare, and LINCE was born from that need.
- 0 → 61 → 333Drone attacks recorded by Colombia's Ministry of Defense in 2023, 2024 and 2025.1
- 8,395 attempts in 2025333 were effective, leaving 20 dead and 297 wounded, the defense minister told the Senate.2
- 318 attacks in 2026With explosive drones, through October 1, according to the Ideas for Peace Foundation (FIP).3
- US$35,000 versus US$4 millionWhat it costs to build a Shahed drone, and what one Patriot PAC-3 MSE missile costs.5
In August 2025, a police helicopter went down in Amalfi, Antioquia, in an attack attributed to a drone flown by FARC dissidents; 13 police officers died, according to the president.4 Since 2024, drone attacks have killed 25 members of the security forces and 6 civilians and wounded more than 450 people. The security forces attribute 72% of them to the Estado Mayor Central and 23% to the ELN.3
And the threat keeps evolving. Fiber-optic-guided drones, made common by the war in Ukraine, emit no radio signal: they slip past the radio-frequency detectors and jammers that much of today's defense relies on.6 What's needed is a sensor that doesn't depend on the drone's signal, doesn't give itself away, and costs little enough to protect every base, every station and every town.
- The Guardian, via ACLED, on the rise in drone attacks in Colombia, with Defense Ministry figures (May 2026).
- El Espectador, on the defense minister's report to the Senate: 8,395 drone attacks in 2025 (January 2026, in Spanish).
- Vanguardia, on explosive drones in Colombia, with FIP and security-force figures (October 2026, in Spanish).
- Vanguardia, on the police officers killed in the helicopter attack in Amalfi, Antioquia (August 2025, in Spanish).
- Stars and Stripes, on the cost of a Patriot PAC-3 MSE interceptor versus a Shahed drone (July 2026).
- Euromaidan Press, on Russian fiber-optic drones evading jammers (February 2025).
- La Silla Vacía, on drones in the Colombian conflict and what they cost (May 2024, in Spanish).
To develop systems that protect the military, governments and civilians from terrorist attacks.
Every design decision starts from that mission: a sensor that doesn't give itself away, that detects what other systems miss, and that costs little enough to be deployed wherever it is needed, not only where the budget reaches.
How we think about drone defense.
Passive by design
LINCE listens; it doesn't transmit. It doesn't reveal its position, needs no spectrum licence and doesn't interfere with radios, radars or other equipment.
Cost in proportion to the threat
About US$10,000 per node. Defending against a drone worth a few hundred dollars with million-dollar equipment doesn't scale; low-cost sensors cover more ground for the same budget.
See what RF can't
Fiber-optic-guided and autonomous drones emit no control signal. That's why LINCE doesn't rely on one: it detects the sound of the rotors.
Complement, don't replace
LINCE gives the first alert and a direction to look in. It works alongside existing radars, cameras and response systems. See how it compares with other technologies.
In development, with field trials ahead.
LINCE is in development. Final figures for range, accuracy and alert time will be published after field trials. The full data sheet and demonstrations are available on request to military, government, security and critical-infrastructure organizations.
Frequently asked questions.
Who develops LINCE?
LINCE is a joint development of Colombian and American companies.
Why was LINCE created?
Because of the need created by the new asymmetric warfare of low-cost drones: aircraft costing a few hundred dollars that surveil and attack military forces, government sites and civilians, and that increasingly fly without emitting any radio signal.
What is LINCE's mission?
To develop systems that protect the military, governments and civilians from terrorist attacks.
Let's talk about your airspace.
We work with military, government, security and infrastructure operators. Write to us for the data sheet or to schedule a demonstration.