On Friday, December 6, 2024, the Singaporean company ST Engineering (STE) announced that it had signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Kazakh company Kazakhstan Paramount Engineering (KPE), a subsidiary of the South African Paramount Group International. Under the agreement, the Kazakh Ground Forces (Qazaqstan Qūrlyq äskerlerı) will be offered a wheeled armored personnel carrier based on the Terrex II, incorporating local manufacturing.
Terrex II / Photo: STE
ST Engineering will collaborate with KPE to establish production capabilities in Kazakhstan for a new 8×8 amphibious, multi-role armored vehicle. This includes engineering and technical support for the design and production of the vehicle, based on ST Engineering’s field-tested Terrex S5 infantry fighting vehicle, capable of effective operations in aquatic environments.
This partnership marks another success in STE’s international defense business strategy as it continues to pursue growth by localizing licensed production for end-users, providing operational support, and licensing technology to industry partners. This approach also addresses the needs of customers seeking to enhance their own military capabilities and build resilient supply chains.
“This marks a breakthrough for our Land Systems business in terms of securing its first significant international land platform contract in recent years, as well as entry into a new market in Central Asia.” said Lim Kok Ann, President of Land Systems business at ST Engineering. “We look forward to a successful collaboration with KPE and we are confident that the new platform will meet the operational needs of its users.”
Aibek Baryssov, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Kazakhstan Paramount Engineering said:
“KPE’s production capabilities stand at 500 units of various types of armoured vehicles per year per shift and our extensive experience in deep localisation, scientific research, and the operation of armoured vehicles in Kazakhstan’s unique geographic conditions, together with ST Engineering, will enable us to fully meet the needs of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan for amphibious 8×8 vehicles.” He added, “Looking ahead, we have plans for new stages of collaboration on various projects.”
The new vehicle will be manufactured at KPE’s facility in Kazakhstan starting in 2025.
With decades of experience in military technology and engineering, ST Engineering’s armored vehicles have proven their effectiveness in battlefield mobility, personnel protection, and firepower. In recent years, STE has invested in and developed integrated solutions aimed at enhancing connectivity, computing power, and sensors for a range of defense platforms, including fully digitalized vehicles, unmanned ground vehicles, and hybrid electric propulsion systems.
Terrex II was offered to the United States Marine Corps (USMC) as a successor to the AAV-7A1 (Amphibious Assault Vehicle, formerly LVT-7) tracked amphibious transporters in the Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) program, but lost to a bid from BAE Systems and Iveco Defense Vehicles, which proposed a new vehicle based on the British-Italian SuperAV/Freccia/Centauro.