Aerospace and defence group Paramount South Africa has handed over the first batch of 12 new Marshall internal security vehicles to the South African Police Service (SAPS). The armoured vehicles will be deployed by public order policing units.

The Marshall was designed to meet the specific requirements of the SAPS and builds on Paramount South Africa’s infantry squad vehicle Maverick, which has been widely adopted by police services in countries such as Brazil, Ghana, Togo and Zambia, among others.

“Working hand-in-hand with the SAPS, following extensive testing and refinement, we have created a platform that will protect our police officers, embolden their capabilities and safeguard our communities,” says Paramount South Africa CEO Lindiwe Tshabalala.

“Paramount has supplied internal security solutions to many countries across Africa and globally.”

The Marshall provides ballistic and blast protection to defence bloc North Atlantic Treaty Organisation standardisation agreement standard STANAG 4569 Level 1, with a monocoque hull and smart floor technology enabling rapid reconfiguration for missions ranging from riot control and tactical response to high-risk prisoner transport.

The vehicle has a kerb weight of 12 500 kg, a payload of 2 500 kg and the ability to transport eight personnel at speeds of up to 110 km/h. It also includes a 360° camera system, public address system and advanced sensor and vision technology.

The production of the vehicle highlights the strength of South Africa’s defence and security industrial base and showcases that the country possesses the skills, technology and ingenuity to produce world-class armoured systems at home, Tshabalala says.

“The Marshall underscores South Africa’s position as a global exporter of advanced defence technologies, proven by Paramount’s record of supplying armoured solutions to police and military forces in more than 20 countries around the world.

“Paramount is committed to building sovereign defence capacity, and ensuring that the design, engineering and assembly of these advanced vehicles directly benefit the local economy,” she adds.