Innovative technologies, including MWARI aircraft
The Paramount Group is showcasing its latest innovative land, sea and air portfolio products at IDEX 2017 in response to demand for defence alliances across the Middle East.
Paramount Group has increased its presence in the Middle East over the past years in order to service its clients and provide governments with affordable cutting-edge technology and defence solutions that is demanded by a new world order.
The highlight of Paramount’s portfolio at this year’s event is the MWARI aircraft, which is a militarised version of Paramount Group’s AHRLAC. The MWARI packs the same surveillance and targeting capability normally associated with a much larger class of aircraft. The MWARI who’s name translates as ‘All Seeing Being’ in the Shona dialect of Southern Africa, through its on-board sensors offers a 30,000ft birds’ eye view of the world and combines the technology and design elements of both a helicopter and reconnaissance aircraft. The aircraft’s low acquisition cost and lower operating costs make a compelling argument for air forces wishing to increase capability without overspending their budgets.
“The demand for defence expenditure has drastically increased in the past year, and there is every indication that it will continue to grow,” Ivor Ichikowitz, Founder and Executive Chairman of Paramount Group, said. “This comes at a time when there are huge social and economic challenges facing national budgets. With geo-political uncertainty set to continue, and countries needing to control and secure their borders, there has never been a more crucial time for governments to provide affordable security and stability to their countries so that their citizens can prosper and their economies can continue to diversify. As an example, a paradigm shift has occurred in the last decade; the Middle East is moving away from buying equipment from traditional suppliers and towards developing technology, designing indigenous systems and exporting those systems globally – in short, they are moving from being big spenders to big innovators. The region is fast becoming an industrial powerhouse through increased manufacturing capability, targeted investment and better access to digital technologies. Local companies are expanding, winning international contracts and building partnerships with international companies such as Paramount Group, which share the same ambitions and vision. The establishment of the Emirates Defence Industries Company (EDIC) was a visionary step from the UAE to diversify its economy away from oil reliance and to drive defence industrialisation. With the right leadership, focus and investment great strides will be made to take a diverse portfolio of capability to an integrated defence industrial self-sufficiency.”
Commenting on the importance of IDEX as a global platform for foreign companies, Ichikowitz said: “IDEX has grown tremendously into one of the world’s largest defence EXPOs, which is a great reflection of the growth in the local defence industry. It’s expanded from a local event, dominated by large international defence companies, to become a crucial platform in showcasing and exporting the technologies and capabilities of the region. For Paramount Group, it’s one of the most important events in the defence industry. As the leading provider of defence technology solutions from the African continent, it allows us to showcase those technologies, expand our partnerships and strengthen our relationships in the region. It’s also an important geopolitical event, where partners and allies reaffirm their relations with governments and policy makers, and is therefore an excellent barometer of regional defence requirements.”
Ichikowitz concluded: “Paramount Group has been in the region for nearly two decades now. We have grown with the regional defence industry, supporting clients in the region as their defence needs have increased. We have a number of strategic partnerships across the region and have helped several countries to establish, enhance and grow their defence industrial capability. Our portable manufacturing and partnering model is now perfectly aligned with the declared intent of various Middle Eastern countries to create domestic capacity. Where many organisations are still learning this approach, Paramount Group has been implementing projects on this basis for many years and is now a major partner in even the most sophisticated markets.”
Paramount Group is also showcasing its highly advanced infantry combat vehicles at IDEX 2017, including the Mbombe 8 which is the flagship of the Mbombe family of 4×4 and 6×6 vehicles and is one of the most advanced 8×8 mine-proof combat vehicles available in the world, incorporating ‘lessons-learned’ engineering on platform and soldier survivability from conflicts in Africa and the Middle East.
