Paramount Group has received final certification for its Mbombe 4×4 armoured vehicle after undergoing blast testing that proved the integrity of its flat-floor mine-resistant armoured hull.
The company on 17 September announced that the vehicle now meets NATO standards regarding armoured vehicles, exceeding NATO STANAG 4569 criteria.
A series of explosives tests were designed and carried out by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research’s (CSIR’s) Landward Sciences programme. “The blast tests are performed in accordance with the highest international specifications, namely, STANAG 4569, a NATO standardisation agreement that institutes benchmarks for occupant protections in vehicles such as the Mbombe 4×4, in this case including three 10 kg TNT explosions under the wheels and the hull, and one 50 kg side blast test, carried out at a five meter distance to imitate an Improvised Explosive Device (IED),” Paramount said.
As part of the blast testing programme, the integrity of the Mbombe 4 was subjected to both experimentations and post-test evaluations that took several months to complete. Final inspections confirmed no evidence of hull ruptures, or injurious internally formed secondary fragments (e.g. secondary shrapnel) nor loose equipment in the occupant compartment, and that anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs) and the seats in which they were placed remained in position and uncompromised, according to Paramount.
The Mbombe 4 was designed for local manufacturing in customer countries, in response to the increasing requirement from governments for the development of their own defence industrial capabilities. The vehicle has successfully completed a series of summer trials with several armed forces around the world.
Key features of Mbombe 4 also include a unique rear-door ramp design, which has been proven in combat on 6×6 and 8×8 IFVs. The ease of access provided by the rear-door ensures the rapid deployment of the crew while the vehicle is static or on the move, according to Paramount.
The Mbombe 4 has a burst speed of 140 km/h, an 800 km operating range and an independent suspension system. Paramount said the vehicle is ideal for missions such as counter-terrorism, border patrol, counter-insurgency, internal security and peacekeeping missions. The vehicle is powered by a six cylinder turbo-diesel engine and weighs 16 tonnes with a payload of 2.7 tonnes, which includes weapons systems, ammunition, crew, and supplies.
Both the launch of Paramount Group’s Mbombe 4 and its first customer, the United Arab Emirates were announced at the 2019 International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) in Abu Dhabi in February.