South African defence company Paramount Group has successfully completed blast protection tests on the Mbombe 4 armoured vehicle.
After the test which was carried out between March and June, Paramount Group received its certification from South Africa’s Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
The Mbombe 4 have exceeded the criteria for NATO STANAG 4569 M4a and M4B. During the testing, three 10 kg TNT charges were detonated under the wheels and hull and one 50 kg side blast test to simulate an improvised explosive device (IED) blast.
Further evaluation conducted on the Mbombe 4 vehicle after the blast protection tests includes checks for secondary fragment injuries, loosened equipment, and hull ruptures, with the vehicle passing these further tests.
Early this year, Paramount Group unveiled the 4×4 variant of the Mbombe for the first time at the Abu Dhabi event. The company revealed that the Mbombe 4×4 draws on the heritage of the Mbombe 8×8, launched in 2016, and the Mbombe 6×6, which is in service.
“The Mbombe 4×4 completes the highly advanced Mbombe family of combat vehicles that are designed to optimally meet the increasing demand for outstanding protection, yet versatility in conventional and asymmetric warfare, counter terrorism and peacekeeping missions.”
The new 4×4 Mbombe 4 armoured vehicle is ideally suited to rapid and large-scale portable manufacturing in customer countries. Founder and Executive Chairman of Paramount Group Ivor Ichikowitz of said had been designed for the operational requirements of Middle East countries.
The company further revealed that the vehicle has “successfully completed a series of summer trials with several armed forces”.
During the IDEX 2019 trade show, Paramount Group secured a UAE contract for four vehicles, which were expected to be used for testing and evaluation purposes before any further procurement by the country.