Latin America beckons
Ties between SA and Latin America in the defence and security equipment arena are growing apace.
State-owned Denel led the way with a joint missile development project with Brazil. Privately owned Paramount is now extending the SA industry’s reach with successes in Argentina and Brazil.
“Latin America has big markets with many serious security issues to deal with,” says Paramount founder and executive chairman Ivor Ichikowitz. “It is now one of our key focus regions.”
In Argentina the firm’s Maverick armoured vehicle is set to go into service with the Buenos Aires provincial police’s crack Halcón special operations unit. This follows the forging of an alliance with Argentine defence and security equipment firm Codesur under which Paramount’s security and military land, electronic and aerospace systems will be marketed in Latin America.
In Brazil, Ichikowitz says Paramount is working with authorities to solve big security challenges they face with a swath of international events to be held in Rio de Janeiro, including the World Cup in 2014 and Olympic Games in 2016.
Founded in 1994, Paramount cut its teeth in Africa. “I saw a dire need for security in Africa,” says Ichikowitz. By meeting African countries’ needs at affordable prices backed by financing packages, Paramount has been “super-successful” in Africa, he adds.
Paramount began looking beyond Africa five years ago, says Ichikowitz. It has made big inroads into markets in the Middle East, Asia and Eastern Europe. Paramount, he adds, has ties with 45 countries and has grown sales at 20% annually for five years.
Paramount’s model is based on its own products and those of third party suppliers. “We are able to supply a turnkey solution for anything from a simple peacekeeping operation to the most advanced requirements of land, air and naval forces,” says Ichikowitz.
Best known for its armoured vehicles, Paramount is also deeply involved in development of aerospace products, a sector in which Ichikowitz believes the firm has a world-beater in its Ahrlac aircraft. Ahrlac, he says, economically fills a big gap between the capabilities of helicopters and fighter jets in ground support operations.