Developing an acquisition strategy for the Colombian Navy's new strategic surface ships

Abstract

The Colombian Navy is a modern, disciplined, and well-trained military service performing the constitutional mission to defend the integrity of the Colombian maritime territory and enforce government policies concerning the use of the sea. Today the strategic fleet fulfilling these duties bears normal aging problems threatening the execution of the Colombian Navy's mission in the near future. The country's fiscal situation is tight and no funds are budgeted to support a contract acquiring new ships. The Colombian Navy will need to replace its strategic surface ships in order to upgrade its tactical capabilities to new technology. The most viable option is the acquisition of second-hand ships available on the international market. The U.S. defense acquisition system has been in place for almost sixty years and has proven its efficiency by providing defense systems to the U.S. military services; therefore, after conducting a comprehensive literature search and bibliographic review, the U.S. DoD acquisition strategy was the model selected for a proposed acquisition strategy suitable for the Colombian Navy's unique conditions,. The resulting product, recommendations, concerns, and areas of further research coincide with the need to develop a flexible and reliable acquisition system to face the future of progress within the Colombian Navy.