Kent Mensah, AfricaNews editor in Accra, Ghana
The revolution in armoured vehicle technology will reach the Gulf on Monday as the largest defence and aerospace business from Africa unveils its groundbreaking technology at the regions' biggest defence exhibition, IDEX. Gulf States have traditionally been customers of the US and Europe but a new breed of armoured vehicles pioneered in South Africa has turned the tables on the dominant suppliers.
The development has resulted in unprecedented demand for vehicles from companies such as the Paramount Group, Africa’s largest privately owned defence contractor.
In a significant move to enter the Gulf region, the Paramount Group will announce an important strategic joint venture with the leading regional defence contractor International Golden Group (IGG). The joint venture with IGG is a milestone agreement that represents long standing collaboration between the United Arab Emirates and South Africa.
Announcing the joint venture, Ivor Ichikowitz, Executive Chairman of the Paramount Group, said: “Our partnership with IGG continues the revolution in armoured vehicle technology and design for which South Africa is world-renowned. By bringing our latest armoured vehicles to the Middle East, IGG will be presenting one of the world’s most sophisticated defence procurement markets with the very pinnacle of new technology and design in armoured vehicles. The joint venture will help strengthen economic and political ties between the two countries and take collaboration to new heights.”
The agreement will allow Paramount to share its considerable experience with modern infantry vehicles. In the long term, Paramount aims to take its collaboration with the UAE further by locating manufacturing facilities in country, employing local workers and sharing high-tech skills.
Ichikowitz added: "We are in a new era of defence procurement. The time when big Western manufacturers dominated the Gulf’s defence market is changing and we are here to develop more collaborative, mutually beneficial relationships that genuinely contribute to the region’s’ future economic development and security.
Local facilities
“Our unique approach to defence manufacturing is proving very popular with Gulf States. We deliver many benefits to the countries we work in, such as locating manufacturing facilities in country and transferring engineering and technology knowledge to local workers. This is especially attractive to Gulf States which have traditionally relied on their oil industries and are looking to diversify their economies.”
At IDEX, Paramount Group will be showcasing two of its vehicles. First and foremost is the Paramount Low-Profile Vehicle (PLPV) which was recently launched in Africa under the name 'Mbombe'. This is a revolutionary six-wheeled infantry vehicle which provides high levels of survivability against all the prevalent threats, such as IED’s and land mines, but has a much lower profile which allows the vehicle to make tactical use of ground. Second, Marauder, another extremely well protected armoured vehicle which is ideally suited to long range reconnaissance, border patrol and Rapid Reaction Forces.
“Bringing Paramount's systems to the Middle East in partnership with IGG will allow the governments of the Gulf countries to source the very latest generation of infantry vehicles. These are unique, because they are designed to play a major role in the counter-insurgency operations currently being undertaken in Afghanistan and elsewhere - including Africa - but they are flexible enough to take a leading role in conventional operations if the need should arise. Paramount believes that this flexibility is the key to the successful design of all future armoured vehicles.”
Ichikowitz concluded: “Paramount Group is Africa’s largest privately owned defence and aerospace company with global manufacturing facilities and joint ventures with selected partners in Africa, Europe, Asia and elsewhere. It manufactures flexible, highly versatile IED and land mine protected vehicles, providing its customers with some of the most advanced armoured vehicle designs in the world today. Paramount vehicles have shown themselves well able to cope with the high temperatures and harsh terrain of the Middle East and they are ideally suited to work with defence and law-enforcement agencies of the Gulf countries in maintaining national security, border control and the rule of law.”
The revolution in armoured vehicle technology will reach the Gulf on Monday as the largest defence and aerospace business from Africa unveils its groundbreaking technology at the regions' biggest defence exhibition, IDEX. Gulf States have traditionally been customers of the US and Europe but a new breed of armoured vehicles pioneered in South Africa has turned the tables on the dominant suppliers.
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