An industrial partnership of Paramount Group, the African-based global defence and aerospace company, has begun local production of one of the world’s most advanced armoured vehicles for the Jordanian Armed Forces.

Paramount Group and Jordan Manufacturing Services Solutions (JMSS) announced the signing of a new contract that will see JMSS leading on the local production and assembly of the MBOMBE 6x6 at a dedicated facility in the Dulail- King Abdullah II Design Development Bureau (KADDB) Industrial Park. The announcement was made at the Special Operations Forces Exhibition & Conference (Sofex-2016) in Amman, Jordan.

Ivor Ichikowitz, founder and executive chairman of Paramount Group, said: “We are extremely proud to expand our collaborative partnerships with local Jordanian industry, working together to bolster local industrialization, creating advanced technologies and skilled jobs. It is an honour to collaborate on the production of the MBOMBE 6x6 for the Jordanian armed forces and I am committed to developing further such partnerships across the Middle East.”

The international partnership will ultimately deliver 50 MBOMBE to the Jordanian Armed Forces. Paramount Group has been producing the first MBOMBE in South Africa and the process of vehicle delivery has started with the first 25 vehicles expected to be delivered to Jordan over the summer of 2016.

Additional local partners who form the supply chain include: the King Abdullah II Design Development Bureau (KADDB), the Jordan Advanced Machining Company (JAMCO), which will manufacture the turret and pestle mounts, and Aselsan Middle East, which will provide intercom systems.

Khaled Tashtshe, general manager, said: “JMSS is a regional leader in manufacturing Medium and Heavy vehicles, recognized for its technical excellence. We are proud to play a leading role in the local production and assembly of the MBOMBE armoured vehicle.”

As with other such Paramount Group partnerships across the Middle East, Jordan will benefit from the South African company’s extensive industrial and technical training programs. Paramount Group will deliver vehicle maintenance training and other highly-skilled courses for Jordanian employees of JMSS and members of the Jordanian armed forces will receive training on the operation and technical maintenance of the MBOMBE.

Ichikowitz added: “Regional governments are working valiantly to confront security threats of unprecedented scope and scale in an era of squeezed military budgets. But they cannot do it alone. Regional security starts with economic security and the defence industry must accept the responsibility of offering more affordable, adaptable solutions.

“As a South African company, with a proven track record of providing solutions to stabilize asymmetrical warfare, Paramount Group is a trusted partner to governments across the Middle East.

“Paramount Group is privileged to play our part in supporting the growth of the Middle East’s military industrial capability, and we look forward to announcing further such collaborations in the future.”

JMSS and partners will start immediately to fabricate the jigs to build the MBOMBE hulls before producing the second tranche of 25 armoured vehicles in Jordan. The proposed build will require them to fabricate the hull assembly as all welded sub-assemblies and cut and bend plates will be delivered by Paramount Group. The bolt on assembly will be done in Jordan, as with the major sub-assemblies like the power pack, wheel stations, suspension and hatches.

The Jordanian MBOMBE is a bespoke version developed by Paramount Group. It can uniquely withstand the extreme climates of the Middle East: during the armoured vehicle’s development it underwent extensive trials comprising 50-degree Celsius desert environments in Jordan and the UAE, to -50-degree Celsius during winter trials in Kazakhstan.

Across all models, the MBOMBE contains the latest armoured and land mine protected technology in the world, providing unrivalled protection against landmines, IEDs, side blasts and RPG attacks. – TradeArabia News Service