Paramount Mbombe 8

The History of Paramount Bombe 8

Since 2010, Paramount Group South Africa has been producing the high mobility, mine-protected ambush (MRAP) vehicle "Mbombe" in four- and six-wheel versions ("Mbombe 6"). Current customers are Jordan (Mbombe 6), Kazakhstan and South Africa.

A new 8-wheeled model called "Mbombe 8" emerged from this work and was launched in June 2016.

The Mbombe 8 is known as the Next Generation (NG) battlefield vehicle, classified as an Infantry Fighting Vehicle (ICV). The role is similar to an Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) in that it is designed to pull combat-ready troops under protection, support alongside them with cannon and machine gun weapons and dismount and fight. Recent armored vehicle conflicts, especially in Afghanistan and Iraq, have demonstrated the value of better armored and armed light vehicles operating in urban environments, where tanks and other bulky systems have exposed their shortcomings.

Additionally, vehicles such as the US Humvee have proven highly vulnerable to improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and other concealed/burial mine-type threats, leading the US Army to invest heavily in MRAP vehicles.

The Paramount Group has built an impressive track record in this category, and the Mbombe 8 is one of their latest offerings. The system is based on existing and proven sub-functions of the Mbombe family of vehicles, so these vehicles can share up to 80% parts commonality with each other, making them logistically friendly to the most budget-conscious militaries.

The Mbombe 8 is equipped with a lightning protection flat floor for the crew and passenger compartments with STANAG 4569 class 3+ ballistic protection and STANAG 4569 class 4a/4b explosion protection. The vehicle weighs 28 tonnes and is approved to carry a payload of up to 9 tonnes.

Power comes from a 6-cylinder turbo diesel engine mated to an automatic transmission system, enabling road speeds of 110 km/h and a range of up to 800 km through an 8x8 layout with fully-suspension wheels. Its armament is variable (the entire turret is optional), and a common installation is the AU-220M remote-controlled turret with a 57mm cannon and a 7.62mm machine gun.

While the Mbombe 8 is noticeably longer than its 4x4 and 6x6 cousins, it makes up for it with a larger interior volume (due to its front-engine and centerline gearbox placement) and a larger surface area with extra axles It, enabling it to keep up with mechanized troops, operate independently and manage overland travel if necessary.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

Depends on weapon. Six to eight smoke grenade launchers.

Changes