The Nigerian Army has procured MARAUDER armored vehicles and personnel carrier, equipped with a Jordanian-made snakehead turret fitted with a 7.62mm machine gun. The move comes as the West African nation is bolstering its efforts to effectively tackle a wide range of threats posed by various terrorist and extremist groups.
It was gathered that the vehicle can withstand a side blast (IED or roadside bomb) equivalent to 50kg of explosives, which is critical for the asymmetrical warfare experienced in Northern parts of the country. The MARAUDER is further equipped with specially designed anti-blast seats, which prevent injury from the extreme acceleration of a side blast or mine blast under the hull. It offers great firepower to protect its crew against heavy attacks and can be fitted with a wide range of weapons systems.
Senior Vice President of Paramount Group, Eric Ichikowitz, commended the Nigerian Government for the leadership role it plays in international peacekeeping missions across the ECOWAS. He noted that a collective effort was needed in addressing cross-regional challenges posed by threats such as organized insurgencies."
The group disclosed that it received orders for dozens of rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIB) in 2018 in a multipurpose effort by the Nigerian Navy to defend its blue economy and coastline, for the continued military training of its Special Forces, rescue and patrol operations and for the protection of the nation’s oil and gas assets.
"We look forward to building on our strong and longstanding relationship in support of Nigeria’s Armed Forces, by providing highly innovative and advanced solutions to embolden the nation’s frontlines of modern-day defense and security," Ichikowitz concluded. "Increased security leads to increased economic growth and Paramount’s proven portable manufacturing model can play an important role in the establishment of local manufacturing capabilities enabling the diversification of the nation’s economy and the potential to foster sustainable job creation. These are shared efforts that we believe to be vital to maintaining Nigeria’s continued trajectory."
