Boeing [BA] and Paramount Group, Africa’s largest
- Ivor Ichikowitz, Paramount Group chairman. Chris Chadwick, president and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space and Security sign collaboration Memorandum
privately-owned defense and aerospace business, signed a memorandum of collaboration to jointly develop defense and security opportunities in key international markets.
The agreement, signed July 15 during the bi-annual Farnborough Airshow, will allow the two companies to apply their complementary strengths in providing aircraft and land systems solutions for customers in Africa and other major markets that face a range of security challenges. Those include border security; heavy airlift of products and personnel across vast distances; coastal piracy and anti-poaching; and disaster and humanitarian relief as part of future coalition efforts.
Platforms being explored under the collaboration include various Boeing rotorcraft, unmanned aerial systems and related support services, as well as Paramount’s leading portfolio of land vehicles and aerospace systems capabilities currently deployed around the world.
“Boeing and Paramount will be able to provide new or existing customers with a unique partnering of defense solutions and capabilities, including the retrofitting or refurbishment of existing platforms, systems integration, as well as training and maintenance support for any new acquisitions,” said Chris Chadwick, president and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space and Security. “Together we will be able to offer African customers the full scope of defense and security needs from two global leaders in their respective fields.”
Ivor Ichikowitz, Paramount Group chairman, said: “Africa is one of the world’s fastest-growing markets for aerospace and defense equipment, and we are very pleased to be partnering with Boeing to combine our various capabilities to better serve our customers in Africa and elsewhere. Paramount has extensive world-class design, development and manufacturing capability in Africa, which we consider to be an asset of the continent. It has for many years been our policy to identify best-of-breed partners to collaborate with in growing our African capability.”