Ukrainian company MAC HUB has unveiled the MAC Owl armoured vehicle – what it says is the country’s first such vehicle manufactured locally with STANAG Level 4 mine protection.
The vehicle, unveiled in mid-January, can withstand the detonation of up to 10 kg of explosives under a wheel and under the hull. This exceeds the explosive power of the TM-62 anti-tank mine, which is widely used in the Russian-Ukrainian war. The MAC Owl has ballistic protection up to level PZSA-6 (the Ukrainian standard for ballistic protection) providing protection against 7.62×54 mm armour piercing rounds. Additional armour can be added for further protection.
MAC HUB said the project marks its first example of serial production in Ukraine carried out in partnership with a major international defence company. Although the vehicle looks similar to Paramount’s Mbombe 4, MAC HUB said it is not an adapted copy but a standalone vehicle developed from a proven platform and with major structural modifications that make it well suited to local conditions.
Developed and refined in direct response to the realities of the Russia–Ukraine war, the Owl reflects lessons learned from sustained high-intensity operations. MAC HUB engineers have adapted the design’s layout, situational awareness, protection profile, and systems integration to optimise survivability and operational effectiveness under extreme combat conditions.
The 4×4 vehicle can reach a speed of 100 km/h, and range of 800 km. With a curb weight of 14 tons, it can carry up to 2.2 tons of payload, including a weapons turret for machineguns or grenade launchers. A Cummins 8.9 litre turbodiesel engine producing 450 hp is coupled to a six-speed Allison transmission. The vehicle is designed for a crew of two and can carry between six and eight dismounted troops, depending on the configuration. The MAC Owl supports both left-hand and right-hand drive layouts, with adjustable driver and co-driver seats.
MAC HUB told Defence Express that a cooperation agreement with Paramount Greece was signed 18 months ago. Paramount Greece on 3 February announced the defence collaboration, saying it marked a major milestone in European industrial cooperation and Ukraine’s rapidly advancing defence manufacturing capability.
“The partnership is focused on the joint development and local production of advanced land platforms and systems, aligned to the evolving requirements of modern, high-intensity conflicts. As its first major milestone, the collaboration has culminated in the launch of a new MRAP armoured vehicle, locally produced in Ukraine and specifically adapted to address contemporary battlefield threats,” Paramount Greece said in a press release.
Photo: Paramount Greece
The new MAC Owol (Sova) has been extensively localised and re-engineered by MAC HUB engineers to meet Ukrainian operational realities, terrain, and threat profiles. This localisation has been achieved through Paramount’s portable production model, which enables advanced defence systems to be manufactured in-country, ensuring sovereignty, security of supply, and rapid scalability, the company added.
“For Paramount Greece, the partnership marks the company’s formal entry into the European defence market, reinforcing its role as a catalyst for regional industrial capability, innovation, and collaboration,” the company stated.
A spokesperson for Paramount Greece said: “By combining Paramount Greece’s advanced platform design and industrial expertise with MAC HUB’s frontline experience and in-country manufacturing capability, the partnership delivers a model for future European-Ukrainian defence cooperation. It ensures that critical systems can be produced, maintained, and evolved locally, reducing dependency on external supply chains while accelerating operational availability.”
A spokesperson for MAC HUB stated: “This partnership is about far more than a single vehicle. It is about building resilient defence ecosystems, transferring advanced capability, and ensuring that nations facing the most demanding security challenges have the tools, technologies, and industrial capacity required to defend themselves – today and in the future.”
The MAC Owl is undergoing operational testing with the Ukrainian Army following its public reveal on 16 January. “MAC Owl is expected to enter extended combat trials as early as this month, during which its strengths and potential shortcomings will become apparent. This will serve as a prerequisite for the vehicle’s adoption into service and the launch of serial production,” Militarnyi reported, adding that Ukraine could acquire up to 100 vehicles a year.
Ukraine is manufacturing various foreign armoured vehicles for its war effort, including the M113 (Lys – Fox), MaxxPro (Sikach – Boar), and HMMWV (Kharakternyk Warlock). Last year Canadian armoured vehicle manufacturer Roshel launched production in Ukraine, which has already acquired over 1 800 Senator armoured vehicles from the company. Ukraine manufactures the Oncilla-Shturm 4×4 armoured personnel carrier, developed from the Polish Oncilla, and Germany’s Rheinmetall, meanwhile, is looking to locally produce Lynx KF41 infantry fighting vehicles in Ukraine.
MAC (Military Armoured Company) HUB manufactures the Katran unmanned surface vessel, optronic systems, unmanned ground vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles, and armoured vehicles such as the MAC-TI (UkrArmoTech UAT-T Cobra) and MAC-FI (INKAS Hornet). Both vehicles are based on the Land Cruiser 79 chassis.
