Ghana operating Hunter Light Strike Vehicles, Maverick security vehicles

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Ghana’s armed forces are operating 12 Hunter Light Strike Vehicles, purchased from OTT Technologies, as well as Paramount Maverick internal security vehicles.

The contract for the Hunters was concluded around September 2012 and the vehicles were delivered in March 2013, according to Hans Kriek, OTT marketing manager.

The contract was worth R8.75 million, according to the National Conventional Arms Control Committee’s (NCACC’s) 2013 annual report.

The Hunter LSV was launched in 2010 and is based on surplus Samil 20 light tactical trucks. It offers an affordable and extreme mobility vehicle for special operations and high mobility medium and deep strikes, according to OTT. A crew of up to seven including driver can be carried. Armament consists of a ring mounted 12.7 mm or 14.5 mm heavy machine gun or 40 mm grenade launcher with 360° traverse plus three single pin-mounted 7.62 mm light machine guns each with a coverage of more than 100?.

Tare is 5,700 kg, payload 2,000 kg and GVM 7,700 kg. The fuel autonomy on roads is 800 km and can be extended to 1200 km with the use of six on board Jerry cans. The vehicle is powered by a Deutz F6L913 6 cylinder air cooled diesel engine with an output of 93 kW (124 hp) and 383 Nm torque.

NCACC documentation also shows that Ghana took delivery of nine Maverick internal security vehicles from Paramount Group, under a R33.8 million contract.

The 10 000 kg Maverick internal security vehicle completed development in 2008. It has a payload of 5 000 kg and can carry ten people in addition to the two crewmembers. Various turret and weapon system options are available, such as a water cannon or machinegun turret, as well as banks of electrically operated grenade launchers. Paramount offers the Maverick in a variety of models, including Command, Surveillance, Explosive Ordnance, Armoured Ambulance and VIP Transporter. A 221 kW Cummins diesel engine provides the 4×4 vehicle with a top speed of 100-120 km/h.

The vehicle features a double-skin monocoque welded steel hull and is protected against 7.62×51 mm bullets and 155 mm high explosive air bursts (at 60 m). The floor is protected against shrapnel munitions such as M26 hand grenades and firebombs and can be fitted with an external fire extinguisher system.

Last year Paramount sold 16 Mavericks to Congo Brazzaville for R54.5 million. In 2013 the company also sold 12 of its Marauders to Azerbaijan for R30 million, six Marauders to Malawi for R15 million, one Marauder to Oman for R2.5 million, and 12 Marauders to Singapore for R36 million, according to the NCACC.