Chile CBRN Defence Market Size and Forecast by Threat Type, Equipment, End User, and Platform: 2019-2033

Chile CBRN Defence Industry Outlook

The Chile CBRN defence market is undergoing a strategic transformation as the government intensifies its commitment to countering CBRN threats. This transformation is evident in both policy posture and operational capability enhancements. Chile’s location in the Pacific Ring of Fire, proximity to mining-intensive regions, and participation in regional arms control treaties make CBRN preparedness a national imperative.

The Chilean Ministry of Defence, in collaboration with the National Emergency Office (ONEMI), is adopting a multi-layered strategy involving civil-military partnerships, early warning systems, and biosafety frameworks. In October 2024, a regional workshop hosted by UNODA in Santiago catalysed regional alignment under the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), reaffirming Chile’s active role in shaping Latin America’s CBRN governance. These initiatives position Chile as a key node in the Southern Cone’s biosafety and non-proliferation network.

With cross-agency cooperation gaining ground, the Chile CBRN defence industry is seeing increased allocations toward detection, decontamination, and surveillance solutions. In the near term, growth will be driven by capacity building in public health laboratories, CBRN training exercises, and procurement of mobile detection platforms—solidifying Chile’s role as a regional standard-bearer in CBRN defence.

Driving Forces Reshaping the Chile CBRN Defence Sector

Several underlying factors are shaping the rapid evolution of the Chile CBRN defence sector, with national security, environmental safety, and regional cooperation serving as top priorities. Rising concerns over biosecurity—exacerbated by global pandemics—have prompted the Chilean Armed Forces to invest in enhanced bio surveillance systems.

The legacy of past U.S.-Chile cooperation, including the U.S. Army’s assistance in improving biological identification techniques for soil, food, and water, has helped Chile develop field-level CBRN responsiveness. Furthermore, the mining industry’s use of hazardous chemicals like cyanide and sulfuric acid has heightened the need for civil protection agencies to prepare for accidental chemical exposures.

Chile is also under increasing obligation to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 1540, driving regulatory upgrades and inter-agency drills. The integration of public health systems with CBRN response frameworks is encouraging dual-use investments from civil authorities and defence institutions alike.

Notably, as Colombia benefits from similar regional programs, Chile is leveraging these experiences to fast-track its own protocols. These drivers are transforming the Chile CBRN defence industry from a passive responder to a proactive risk mitigator with embedded resilience across national security and civil infrastructure domains.

End-User Adoption Trends: From Border Security to Public Health Resilience

End-user adoption in the Chile CBRN defence market is becoming increasingly diverse, reflecting the broader utility of CBRN systems across defence, law enforcement, public health, and environmental agencies. The Chilean Army and Air Force are primary defence end-users, focusing on mobile detection labs and contamination control gear.

However, there's a significant uptick in adoption from civilian institutions. The Ministry of Health, in particular, is working with biosafety labs to enhance diagnostic capacities for biological agents—a capability emphasized during the UNODA workshop in Santiago. Regional hospitals are also receiving portable radiation detectors, enabling quicker assessments following seismic activity that could compromise medical or nuclear infrastructure.

Firefighters and HazMat units are integrating multi-threat gas analysers and real-time mapping systems. Additionally, training programs at institutions like the Chilean War Academy now include simulated CBRN scenarios, preparing personnel for asymmetric threats.

This multifaceted adoption signifies a shift from military-centric approaches toward an integrated homeland defence model, where the Chile CBRN defence sector supports national preparedness across both strategic and tactical levels. End-user collaboration, especially between health and security actors, is expected to be the growth backbone for the coming five years.

Competitive Landscape and Institutional Stakeholders: Mapping the Ecosystem

The Chile CBRN defence industry features a dynamic mix of international technology providers, regional actors, and local system integrators. Global players like Smiths Detection, FLIR Systems, and Bruker are active in Chile, offering radiation detection, chemical analysis, and decontamination systems. These firms partner with Chilean military contractors to localize equipment support and maintenance.

Regionally, Colombia’s experience with UNSCR 1540 capacity-building is influencing strategic collaborations between the two nations, especially in standardizing lab protocols and emergency response templates. Locally, Chilean SMEs are emerging in biosensor development and simulation training, often supported by government innovation funds and academic R&D institutions such as Universidad de Chile.

From a governance standpoint, ONEMI remains the chief civilian body responsible for national emergency planning, while the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces coordinate operational deployments. Inter-ministerial task forces are being established to ensure rapid interagency data exchange.

Strategically, international players are forming long-term training and tech-transfer agreements to secure supply chain footholds. These efforts reflect the increasing maturity of the Chile CBRN defence sector, where collaborative innovation, domestic capability-building, and compliance with international norms form the cornerstone of long-term sustainability.

Author: Surender K (Vertical Head – Aerospace & Defence)

*Research Methodology: This report is based on DataCube’s proprietary 3-stage forecasting model, combining primary research, secondary data triangulation, and expert validation. [Learn more]

Chile CBRN Defence Market Segmentation