Paramount Land Systems, a subsidiary of aerospace and technology company Paramount Group, has revealed that it has received two orders totalling 50 units of its Maatla 4x4 light protected vehicle (LPV) during the African Aerospace and Defence Expo 2022, that was held from September 21 to 23.

In entering the LPV market with its new multi-role Maatla, which means “power” in Setswana, Paramount Land Systems is meeting the increasing demand for lighter-weight and more affordable armoured vehicles, while offering advanced capabilities and reconfigurability in the field.

The Maatla provides, as a minimum, ballistic and blast protections to STANAG 4569 Level 1, and can protect against handguns and other small calibre ball ammunition. It also provides underbelly protection against M26 hand grenades or a blast equivalent.

Paramount International senior VP Eric Ichikowitz says the Maatla is designed in response to changing customer requirements.

“We are very excited to offer border patrol, gendarmerie, police units and armed forces in Africa and around the world with best-in-class technologies and capability. The vehicle’s lighter weight and commercial components ultimately enable greater customer affordability and faster production rates,” he says.

The Maatla has been manufactured on a commercial vehicle chassis, which improves its reliability and comes with inherent proven capability, while still being capable of addressing all types of terrain for its nine-crew personnel.

The Maatla also features Paramount Land Systems’ smart floor technology, enabling the seating to be quickly removed and the vehicle to be configured as either an ambulance, command vehicle or for alternative mission requirements, such as border patrol, military support, policing or peacekeeping missions.

In addition, day and night vision devices and extra sensors can also be fitted to provide 24/7 operability.

Paramount Land Systems CEO Deon Grobler says personnel safety and soldier survivability in the field are key priorities of the Paramount Group’s design and manufacturing philosophy.

“The Maatla is a multi-purpose vehicle, offering excellent cross-country performance and reliability. Designed to handle a 2 t payload, the Maatla offers near infinite-configurability in terms of onboarding mission-specific equipment, weapons and armour scalability,” he says.

The Maatla can reach a road speed of up to 100 km/h, with a cruising range of up to 600 km when traveling at 80 km/h. It has a fording depth of up to 750 mm without preparation.

The vehicle is fitted with a two-speed transfer case and three differential locks, which enables it to better traverse difficult terrain.

The vehicle can be operated in extreme environments, with temperatures ranging from -10 ^oC to 55 ^oC, without any preparation.