Paramount Group
In 1994, Ivor Ichikowitz - an ambitious South African entrepreneur and industrialist - formed the Paramount Group, which became the largest privately-owned defence and security business in Africa. By 2015 it was a global corporation, active in global defence and aerospace innovation. It had more than 3000 employees, working with sovereign governments across across five continents and manufacturing in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
Many companies manufacture products and then take them to market. Paramount starts by assessing the security and defence challenges faced by the governments and agencies we work with. It then applies the company's knowledge, experience and capabilities to craft world-class solutions to directly address these needs.
Paramount can provide a complete solution for land forces and has extensive experience in equipping forces for national defense or peacekeeping missions. The Land Forces solutions extend to the provision of fully equipped and supported camp systems comprising troop accommodation, shelters, mobile kitchens, state-of-the-art field hospitals, power supply, water sanitation and force protection infrastructure.
Paramount Group Land Systems offers a world-class family of armored and mine protected vehicles, state-of-the-art camp systems, communications, force protection and logistics support. Meeting current and future threats on the battlefield, urban warfare, counter insurgency, public order, peacekeeping, border patrol and surveillance, Paramount’s experienced design team has developed some of the most advanced armoured and mine-protected vehicles through clean sheet design. The design team’s impeccable track record includes the design and production of well-established combat vehicles.
Paramount’s armoured vehicle range currently comprises the Matador and Marauder Mine Protected Vehicles (MPV), the Maverick Internal Security Vehicle (ISV), the Mbombe 6x6 and 8x8 Armoured Fighting Vehicle (AFV) and Marauder Patrol, a Light Reconnaissance and Patrol Vehicle. All vehicles in the range provide exemplary performance in survivability, mobility and firepower and are tested to NATO specifications with independent certification. They are designed to provide the best possible protection against kinetic energy, IED and RPG attacks, ensuring optimum survivability for the crew.
Paramount Aerospace offers a range of solutions from supersonic fighter aircraft to the revolutionary Advanced High-Performance Reconnaissance Light Aircraft (AHRLAC), Air Force establishment and a unique Academy for pilot training. Paramount Group has a major stake in South Africa’s largest aeronautical engineering business, Aerosud. With customers including Airbus and Boeing, Aerosud has established itself as a critical partner for the global aerospace industry. Aerosud is a risk-sharing partner in the A400M, the new military transport aircraft developed by Airbus.
A ground-breaking project from Paramount Aerospace is the Advanced High-Performance Reconnaissance Light Aircraft (AHRLAC). It is a revolutionary new African-designed and developed aircraft, destined for a significant role in a wide range of military, policing and civilian tasks around the world. The two-crew aircraft can carry out a wide range of operations including surveillance, policing, border/coastal patrol and anti-smuggling, armed patrol and counter insurgency operations, disaster relief and emergency supply to remote areas, and intelligence gathering.
Paramount Group acquired the South African Mirage F1 fleet, complete with spares stocks, simulators, training aids and other related material. Through careful acquisition of key staff Paramount Aerospace also retained the vast amount of experience built up in Mirage F1 operation by the South African Air Force. The Mirage F1 represents an ideal solution for the introduction of supersonic Fighter capability to growing Air Forces coupled to Paramount’s ability to provide full maintenance and ground support, pilot training, air base overhaul and establishment.
Paramount Electronic Systems ensure that land forces are equipped with the best communications infrastructure from command and control, satellite communications, vehicle and personal communications, to infrastructure and secure national networks. Paramount also provides a full range of personal equipment including uniforms, protective gear, mine detection and bomb disposal equipment.
The Paramount Group offers a broad spectrum of marine and naval-related expertise. South Africa’s strategic position has shaped a long history of naval vessel development and Paramount uses a number of well-established dockyards for the upgrading and refitting of marine craft. The Group can also provide new vessels including light strike craft, rapid intervention vessels, coastal and river patrol vessels, and has established itself as the preferred integrator of specialised weapon and surveillance systems in this field. Paramount provides long-term support on all projects. Paramount Group can assist in the acquisition of the right equipment, its installation, commissioning, combined with all relevant training from shorebased to all sea-going elements.
The company's competitive edge allowed it to source the best products and technologies through our global network of partners and suppliers. This made it a leading supplier of security, peacekeeping and defence packages to a variety of markets. Paramount has built strong relationships with governments and government agencies in over 30 countries around the world, earning its enviable reputation as a trusted adviser in the industry. The Group is a leading innovator in the design and development of state-of-the art products that it manufactures in locations throughout the world.
The company has pioneered a portable manufacturing model which enables in-country manufacturing, the transfer of technology and skills and the creation of local job opportunities. Depending on the requirements of the client this could also result in the development of a defense industrial complex creating significant benefits for the economy.
The ability to set up a wide range of innovative funding structures is one of Paramount Group’s core competencies, which enables the client to procure traditionally hard to finance packages. Its comprehensive finance capability incorporates a wide range of innovative funding structures compliant with IMF and World Bank requirements. Paramount’s experience in this area enables its clients to procure finance packages to suit their available resources. This allows Paramount to create defence solutions that are affordable as well as best-in-class.
The organisation is registered with several governments around the world and complies with responsible international conventions governing the global peacekeeping, defence and internal security industries. It operates within the international regulatory frameworks of the United Nations, African Union, South African government and other relevant governments throughout the world and conduct business in an ethical and responsible manner. In addition to national and international conventions, the Paramount Group has implemented stringent internal measures and review processes to ensure that consistently high standards are applied to contracts and operations.
Over the years, Paramount has recruited many of the world’s leading experts in design, engineering, manufacturing, logistics and project management. It has an exceptional team, with many achievements and world-firsts. The company built solid relationships and formed valuable partnerships with governments, agencies and defence organisations in more than 30 countries around the world. Paramount actively contributes towards design enhancement and product development on behalf of leading edge companies internationally and then integrates those designs and developments into solutions. Clients have the assurance of dealing with one supplier while having access to Paramount’s world-wide network of products and services.
By embracing world-class technologies and clean-sheet design, Paramount provides an environment that offers the flexibility and creative space to tailor-make solutions which challenge convention. Through continuous innovation at its Land Systems and Aerospace Innovation Centres, Paramount is able to deliver ground breaking defence platforms and technologies which meet the most challenging requirements.
Paramount Group has established itself as a global innovator with the development of one of the world’s most modern and advanced families of armored combat vehicles, and a revolutionary aircraft, the first aerial platform of its kind. Integrated with the latest technologies in electronic systems these world-class platforms enable Paramount Group to deliver a total defense system to its customers.
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