TSAMTO, June 24th. The Ecuadorian Ground forces have begun operating the recently received MBombe armored vehicles with a 6x6 wheelbase manufactured by the South African Paramount Group.
According to the available resources Infodefensa.com According to the data, the first four vehicles have already been deployed in the province of Guayas, performing tasks of monitoring, controlling and transporting troops as part of anti-terrorist and anti-drug operations.
The BBM data is included in the first batch of nine machines received in April. A second batch consisting of eight 6x6 Mbombes is expected to arrive in the near future. Ecuador is also interested in purchasing 15 additional vehicles to complement the battalion of 32 units of Paramount Group equipment, which can gradually replace outdated Brazilian and French-made BMWs.
As previously reported by CAMTO, in November 2022, the Ecuadorian Ground Forces signed a contract with the Israeli company Elbit Systems, providing for the supply of 137 armored vehicles with a 4x4 and 6x6 wheelbase. It was reported that as part of the integrated solution, Elbit Systems will supply Tiger Mk armored vehicles.2 with a 4x4 wheel formula by the Israeli company MDT Armor and Mbombe BBM with a 6x6 wheel formula developed by the South African Paramount Group. The total cost of the purchase is $67.284 million. The armored vehicles must be equipped with software-defined E-LynX radios, a combat control system and a mini-UAV with vertical takeoff and landing.
According to Ecuadorian media, the command of the Ecuadorian Ground Forces received the first 45 new armored vehicles "David" with a 4x4 wheel formula produced by the Israeli company MDT Armor on January 23, 2024. What was behind the message about the delivery of "David" is still unknown. It is possible that for some reason the parties changed the type of cars being purchased, or the supply was affected by the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The maximum combat weight of the David light armored car, designed on the basis of the Toyota Land Cruiser 79 chassis, is 4.5 tons. The three-door vehicle provides transportation for up to eight military personnel. The basis of the design of the armored car "David" is an armored capsule. The ballistic protection in the basic version meets the requirements of STANAG-4569 Level.2. A turret or a DUMV with a 12.7mm machine gun can be placed on the roof. "David" is in service with the Armed Forces of Israel and other countries, and has been used in combat. Heavier, compared to the "David", "Tiger" Mk.2 provides transportation for up to 12 people. The maximum combat weight of the armored vehicle developed on the Ford F550 chassis is 8845 kg.
The Ecuadorian Army Command announced the receipt of the first batch of new Mbombe 6x6 armored vehicles on April 8, 2024. The BBM will be deployed in the area of the northern border of the country to carry out reconnaissance and control tasks in an area where units of Colombian illegal armed groups are constantly present. The equipment will be put into service by a mechanized brigade, whose headquarters will be located in Manabi province.
The maximum combat weight of the Mbombe-6 is 22.5 tons, including 5.2 tons of payload. The length of the car is 7.71 m, width is 2.8 m, height is 2.55 m, ground clearance is 0.365 m. The car is designed to carry a crew of 11 people, including three crew members and 8 landing troops. The car is equipped with a 450 hp Cummins diesel engine and an Allison 6-speed automatic transmission and can reach a maximum speed of 110 km/h on the highway. The fuel reserve is up to 1000 km.
The unique housing technology provides a high level of calculation protection that meets the requirements of the NATO STANAG-4569 Level.4a/4b standard. According to the company, the BBM provides protection when detonated by a mine with the equivalent of 10 kg of TNT under the hull or wheel. The two-layer housing also protects against small arms fire in accordance with the requirements of the NATO STANAG-4569 Level.3 standard.
The BBM can be equipped with a turret with a large-caliber machine gun or an automatic cannon, or a remotely controlled combat module with weapons of up to 30 mm caliber. Mbombe-6 can be supplied in versions of an armored personnel carrier, a command vehicle, an ambulance, a 120 mm mortar, and a self-propelled ATGM.
