Paramount Group Unveils New Combat Vehicle At Kazakhstan Defence Expo

Paramount Group today, unveiled a new generation 8x8 Infantry Combat Vehicle, Mbombe 8 at Kazakhstan Defence Expo (KADEX 2016).

The Mbombe 8 is at the vanguard of armoured vehicle technologies and has been developed to meet the increasing demand for multi-role, high mobility and mine hardened platforms, and for the changing demands of the global battlefield. Paramount Innovation and Design (a Paramount Group Business) has been responsible for the development and production of a broad range of advanced armoured and mine protected vehicles that are in operation around the world.

The Founder and Executive Chairman of Paramount Group, Ivor Ichikowitz said: “This is a momentous occasion in the evolution of Paramount’s Group’s offering and we are very excited to develop this high speed, long-range and low profile 8x8 armoured combat vehicle. In less than a decade Paramount has designed, developed and industrialised an armoured vehicle nearly every two years, from a clean sheet design. Without exception we have built a reputation for pushing the boundaries and creating armoured vehicles that are groundbreaking in their design, protection levels and mobility.

Ben Jansen, CEO of Paramount’s armoured vehicle business said: “The development of Mbombe 8 has enabled Paramount Group to provide potential customers with a complete family of 4 x 4, 6 x 6 and 8 x 8 AFVs which share over 80% of common components to reduce through life costs and make for easier training and logistics. This commonality relates to both the driveline aggregates, as well as the fact that all three vehicles utilise a ‘conventional’ or ‘in-line’ automotive driveline configuration, positioning the powerpack at the front of the vehicle and along its centre line. This configuration results in far greater efficiency in terms of the transfer of power from the powerpack to the wheels, as the loss of power associated with a second transfer gearbox necessary for ‘unconventional’ drivelines, such as with side-engined vehicles, is eliminated.”

The Mbombe 8 is based on the design of Paramount’s Mbombe 6 that employs an innovative new form of construction to give unprecedented levels of protection, while keeping profile to a minimum. The 8x8 also draws on the company’s experience of designing the highly effective and battle-tested Marauder and Matador mine-resistant vehicles.

The first advanced prototype of the Mbombe 8 will soon start extensive mobility trails and production could be undertaken in South Africa or Kazakhstan.

The unveiling of Mbombe 8 follows the recent announcement in May that Paramount has started local production of its 6x6 Infantry Fighting Vehicle (Mbombe 6) in Jordan as part of a defence industrial partnership between Paramount Group and the Jordanian defence industry. The multi-million dollar contract will provide the Jordanian Armed Forces with IFVs which will provide the platform for Jordan’s future combat vehicle requirements.