Paramount, a prominent global aerospace and technology company headquartered in the UAE, has announced an expansion of its development and manufacturing partnership with Indian industrial conglomerate Bharat Forge Ltd and its subsidiary, Kalyani Strategic Systems. This collaboration aims to produce a broader range of armoured vehicles in India to cater to Paramount’s global customers.
The existing partnership between Paramount and Bharat Forge Ltd, along with its subsidiary Kalyani Strategic Systems, has already resulted in the successful development and production of KM4 armoured vehicles for the Indian Army. This expansion announcement was made at the Defence and Security Equipment International Conference (DSEI) 2023 in London.
Kalyani Group is a subsidiary of Bharat Forge Ltd, which offers armoured vehicles, ammunition, defence electronics and artillery systems. Bharat Forge Limited (BFL) is the flagship company of the USD 3 billion Kalyani Group and a global provider of high performance, innovative, safety & critical components and solutions to various sectors including Automotive, Railways, Defence, Construction & Mining, Aerospace, Marine and Oil & Gas.
Paramount Global CEO Steve Griessel highlighted the significant changes taking place in the global armoured vehicle market and emphasized the strategic importance of their partnership with Kalyani Strategic Systems. The expanded partnership will focus on developing and manufacturing 4×4 and 6×6 Infantry Combat Vehicles for customers worldwide, aligning with Paramount’s ongoing global expansion and production strategy.
Paramount Global CEO Steve Griessel said at the DSEI 2023: ‘We are excited to broaden our partnership to include the development and production of 4×4 and 6×6 infantry combat vehicles for customers around the world. We are very proud that our partnership is growing from strength to strength.’
Neelesh Tungar, President – Defence, Bharat Forge Ltd, expressed their commitment to further strengthening the partnership. He highlighted Kalyani Strategic Systems’ progress in manufacturing world-class defence platforms and specialist vehicle platforms, backed by technical expertise. Tungar emphasized India’s readiness to become “the manufacturing capital” for the global defence industry.
DSEI 2023, known as the most significant iteration of the show in its 24-year history, focuses on achieving an integrated force across multiple operational domains, including Air, Cyber, Electromagnetic Activities (CEMA), Land, Sea, and Space. Paramount’s expanded partnership aligns with this theme, reflecting the importance of global collaboration in the defence industry.
Paramount’s Mbombe family of armoured vehicles includes both 4×4 and 6×6 models with 80% commonality. Earlier this week, the company announced it had received additional orders for the 6×6 model from customers in Latin America and the Southern African Development Community.
The versatile Mbombe 6 is equipped to handle various military assignments, including counterterrorism, border patrol, and peacekeeping missions. The entire Mbombe family of armoured vehicles shares an 80% commonality in technologies and components, offering significant cost benefits due to greater efficiencies, savings in maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO), as well as in training and logistical support.