The Singaporean armored personnel carrier Terrex 2 has been presented in Kazakhstan under the local name Barys-A 8×8, which is planned to be produced domestically.

Forbes Kazakhstan reported on this.

This APC is expected to begin production at the Kazakh defense enterprise Kazakhstan Paramount Engineering as early as 2025. Singapore’s ST Engineering Land Systems provided the production technology.

The cooperation contract between ST Engineering Land Systems and Kazakhstan Paramount Engineering was signed in November 2024. Under the terms of the agreement, the Kazakh side received technical documentation for the development and production, as well as the latest technologies for the design and production of individual components and assemblies.

In addition to providing documentation, ST Engineering Land Systems will also send its engineers to Kazakhstan for technology transfer and will provide full technical support during the initial phase of production.

According to the agreement, Kazakhstan Paramount Engineering has the right not only to manufacture but also to modernize and make changes to the equipment following the customers’ requirements, as well as considering Kazakhstan’s climatic and geographical features.

Barys-A 8×8

Terrex 2 — Barys-A 8×8 is positioned as a multifunctional combat vehicle designed to perform a wide range of tasks in armed conflicts of varying intensity. In the armored personnel carrier version, up to 12 soldiers can be accommodated in the troop compartment. It also provides the possibility of installing a wide range of remotely controlled combat modules.

The main differences between this model and the previous version are improved mine-resistant characteristics and amphibious capabilities due to the double V-shaped bottom.

The vehicle can overcome water obstacles with wave heights of up to 3 on the Beaufort scale, corresponding to wind speeds of 3.4–5.4 m/s and wave heights of up to 0.6 meters. The maximum speed on water is up to 11 km/h, provided by two propellers.

The vehicle is equipped with a six-cylinder Caterpillar C9 turbocharged diesel engine with a power output of 600 hp and a six-speed automatic transmission Allison 4500SP. The maximum speed on land is over 90 km/h.

The built-in digital driver’s panel provides a 360-degree view using 11 combined day-and-night cameras (three in the front, on the sides, and two at the rear). The camera data is displayed on the commander’s and the driver-mechanic monitors.

Armored Vehicle Production in Kazakhstan

Since the early 2010s, Kazakhstan has been actively trying to develop its own armored vehicle production. However, due to a lack of experience in this field, the country’s leadership decided to develop the industry through cooperation with foreign companies.

In 2013, Kazakhstan Paramount Engineering was established, with 65% ownership by the state holding company “Kazakhstan Engineering” and 35% by the South African Paramount Group. By 2014–2015, a factory was built where the assembly of vehicles was planned to be set up.

In 2016, KPE manufactured the first prototype of the Barys 8×8 armored personnel carrier based on the South African combat vehicle Mbombe 8, after which the vehicle underwent testing. However, the tests in 2021 revealed numerous shortcomings of the vehicle.

In 2021, it was also announced that serial production of the Barys 6×6 wheeled armored vehicles had begun, created based on the Mbombe 6 armored vehicle.

In addition, this niche is also planned to be occupied by the Turkish company Otokar, which in 2019 established a subsidiary in Kazakhstan, Otokar Central Asia, with its headquarters in Nur-Sultan.

Otokar Central Asia Board Member Ufuk Aybar stated in an interview with Anadolu Agency that the Kazakhstani army has been using the company’s products for a long time, although Otokar Central Asia has only been operating in the region for three years. In 2021, the Arma 8×8 armored personnel carrier and the Tulpar tracked infantry fighting vehicle, both produced by Otokar, successfully passed tests with three different units of the Armed Forces of Kazakhstan.