In the News

Having found a niche in producing mine-proff armoured vehicles and having made the space its own, South African defence and aerospace company Paramount is spreading its wings, both figuratively and literally. It is about to debut its first all-South African aircraft and is unveiling ambitious plans to set up operations throughout continental Africa. Tom Nevin went to meet the company's chairman.

The Marauder is not only one of the most capable 4x4s in the world; it can also withstand several kilos of plastic explosives without its passengers getting hurt. And it is proudly South African.

As South African President Jacob Zuma reopened the corruption investigation surrounding a decades-old arms deal, one of the country's leading private defence companies has been busy selling its wares further afield. In September, Paramount Group announced the launch of the first aircraft to be fully designed and engineered in Africa. Known as the Advanced High-Performance Reconnaissance Light Aircraft, it was built in partnership with South African aeronautical company Aerosud, with manufacturing planned at a new factory to be built at the Centurion Aerospace Village near Pretoria.

Paramount Group, a cluster of companies with focus in the international peacekeeping, defence and internal security industry sector, hopes to retain its prominent presence in the UAE market through partnership with a UAF-based group. The makers of Africa's first aircraft created from scratch, aim to market and distribute their vehicles in the country as a sign of commitment. Khaleej Times spoke to Ivor Ichikowitz, Executive Chairman of Paramount Group, to get an insight into the group's operations and goals.

O grande trunfo do Ahrlac é a promessa de maior eficiência em troca de menor preço. Com valor previsto para menos de US$ 10 milhões, inferior em até 50% ao de helicópteros de combate, o modelo sul-africano acena com o fato de poder ser utilizado tanto em operações de ataque, com foguetes e metralhadoras, como simplesmente para voos de reconhecimento ou vigilância. Um aspecto que o Paramount, também por trás do Maverick - o candidato a novo Caveirão da PM do Rio - afirma ser um ponto-chave em negociações com mercados emergentes como o Brasil.

Ainda que sua seleção de futebol dificilmente marque presença nos gramados, a África do Sul tem tudo para estar representada na Copa do Mundo de 2014, no Brasil. Além de o Batalhão de Operações Policiais Especiais da Polícia Militar do Rio, o Bope, desde setembro estar testando um modelo de veículo blindado do país para assumir o papel de versão mais moderna do chamado Caveirão, em breve terão início negociações para que os céus cariocas e de outras praças brasileiras sejam o cenário para um ambicioso voo sul-africano.

Most of the world doesn’t believe that developing nations need, or should have, defense industries. According to Ivor Ichikowitz, with Paramount Group in South Africa, the opposite is true. “We learned very early on in Africa that the foundation for any economic growth and development was security and stability – with that comes investment and with that comes jobs and with jobs comes prosperity. The world wants the developing world to be prosperous and if there isn’t a foundation built on security and peace, that can’t happen.”

In the week that president Jacob Zuma set up a judicial commission to investigate the arms deal, private arms manufacturer Paramount Group showed off its Marauder mine and IED (improvised explosive device) resistant armoured vehicle at its Innovation and Manufacturing Centre in Midrand - before taking the behemoth through its paces at Gerotek, the official military testing facility.

Deux entreprises sud-africaines créent un appareil multifonction à bas coûts qui pourrait commencer ses vols d'essais en 2012. « Il n'y a aucun appareil de ce type sur le marché », lance fièrement le directeur d'Aerosud, Paul Potgieter. L'Ahrlac (Advanced High-Performance Reconnaissance Light Aircraft), qui doit combiner les caractéristiques d'un avion de surveillance, d'un hélicoptère d'attaque voire d'un drone, doit être mis en service fin 2012, début 2013. Le premier vol est prévu mi-2012. Paramount et Aerosud, deux entreprises de premier plan dans l'industrie aéronautique et de la défense en Afrique du Sud, veulent se positionner sur un marché de niche.

PRETORIA, South Africa — A South African arms company has unveiled what it calls the first all-African military plane. Johannesburg-based Paramount Group boss Ivor Ichikowitz, showing reporters the AHRLAC on Tuesday, says the lightweight aircraft can be used for peacekeeping missions and reconnaissance and is armed to defend itself. Ichikowitz says it’s the first such aircraft to be designed and built entirely by African companies.