IDEX 2021: Paramount agrees Indian production for Mbombe 4

22nd February 2021 - 12:45 GMT | by The Shephard News Team

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Paramount Group deepens cooperation with Indian partner Bharat Forge Ltd.

The Mbombe 4 armoured vehicle from South Africa-based Paramount Group is to be manufactured in India, under a new agreement with Kalyani Group subsidiary Bharat Forge Ltd.

Paramount and Kalyani already work together in a JV to market a version of the mine-resistant ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicle in India, where it is known as the Kalyani M4.

‘It is intended that the Kalyani M4 will see service with the Indian Armed Forces in the very near future,’ Bharat Forge announced in a statement on 22 February during the IDEX defence and security exhibition in Abu Dhabi. However, no details were given of planned production volumes.

Earlier this month, unconfirmed reports from Indian defence media indicated that the Indian Army has already ordered 200 Kalyani M4s.

In 2020 the Mbombe 4/Kalyani M4 completed rigorous trials near Ladakh in India, where it was joined by the Maverick APC from Paramount and the Werewolf mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicle from Namibia-based Windhoeker Maschinenfabrik.

The United Arab Emirates is the launch customer for Mbombe 4, having ordered four vehicles in 2019.

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