Global Terrorism: S. African firm designs anti-insurgency defence, security equipment
The Paramount Group, South Africa’s global aerospace and technology business firm, says it has designed highly sophisticated military platforms to address the rugged and austere African environment and threats facing armed forces on the continent.
Ivor Ichikowitz, President of Paramount Group disclosed this in a statement on Friday.
Ichikowitz said the fight against jihadist militants in and around the Cabo Delgado region of Mozambique, which began in March 2021, has recently been met with a modern, tightly-interwoven and wholly Pan-African response.
“African-designed, highly sophisticated military platforms, developed to specifically address the rugged and austere African environments and threats facing armed forces on the continent.
“These have been notably manufactured by neighboring South Africa’s global aerospace and technology business,” he said.
He said during Mozambique’s Armed Forces Day celebration on Sept. 25, which President Paul Kagame of Rwanda was part of, 4 Marauder armoured personnel carriers (APCs) pioneered by Paramount Group were prominently displayed.
He noted that Marauder armoured was a highly versatile land vehicle independently proven to offer NATO-standard mine protections and described by experts as the “world’s most unstoppable Vehicle”.
The armoured vehicles appeared alongside Mi-24, Mi-17 (FA-093) and gazelle helicopters, also supplied by the Paramount Group.
Fifteen Mozambican pilots are further reported to have been trained at the Paramount Technical Training Academy, based at Polokwane International Airport in South Africa.
“For Mozambique’s armed forces, the support of Paramount Group of South Africa, Rwanda and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) at large, remain critically important, to defeat the jihadist militants in the North of the country,” he said.
