The
government of Gabon has purchased a fleet of Maverick internal security
vehicles from Paramount Group and successfully deployed them at the Africa
Cup of Nations football tournament. Ten Mavericks were bought by the Gabonese
authorities, who jointly hosted the football tournament with Equatorial
Guinea, for deployment as public order vehicles at stadiums across the
country during the competition.
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The
tournament faced potential security issues following the Arab Spring uprisings
of 2011 in North Africa, and the possibilities of terrorist attacks. An
armed assault on the Togo team bus at the 2010 Cup of Nations in Angola
killed three people and injured two players.
This year's event passed off peacefully and now the government of Gabon
have added the Mavericks to their general fleet of vehicles.
The successful deployment of the Mavericks at the football tournament
will encourage other countries to consider them for their own internal
security needs - Paramount Group is already trialling the Maverick with
other police and internal security forces who have similar needs.
Ivor Ichikowitz, executive chairman of the Paramount Group, a leader in
defence and security innovation, said: "We are very pleased to be
able to help the Gabonese government. The Maverick is the perfect public
order vehicle - its designs means it can monitor and protect crowds whilst
giving maximum protection to its operators.
"Their successful use at the Africa Cup of Nations helped ensure
the competition passed off peacefully and that there was no distraction
from the fantastic football and entertainment served up for fans across
Africa and around the world."
Paramount Group is renowned for its market leading armour protected vehicles
which are deployed around the world for use in peacekeeping missions,
border patrols, counter-terrorism and disaster management.
The Maverick is one of the Group's most advanced products - offering agility
and protection with a non aggressive appearance. It can be used in a variety
of modes including surveillance and equipped with specialist equipment
including water cannon.
Boosted by the popularity of Maverick, Paramount Group is seeking to expand
its internal security product range.
This year will see the maiden flight of Paramount Group's ground-breaking
Advanced High Performance Reconnaissance Light Aircraft (ARHLAC) - the
first fixed-wing aircraft conceived, built and tested in Africa. AHRLAC
provides much of the performance of drones and helicopters at a more affordable
cost.
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