Kazakh MoD completes trials of KPE's Barys 8 infantry combat vehicle

Armoured vehicle manufacturer Kazakhstan Paramount Engineering (KPE) announced on 2 November that its new Barys 8 wheeled infantry combat vehicle (ICV) successfully completed a four-year-long series of trials conducted by the Kazakh Ministry of Defense.

Unveiled for the first time at the KADEX 2016 defence exhibition in Astana, the 8×8 vehicle, which is the localised version of Paramount Group's Mbombe 8 (ICV), was tested in mountainous terrains, forested areas and savannah-like steppes, salt marshes as well as on the sands of Mangistau near the Caspian Sea, noted the company, adding that the vehicle covered a total distance of 25,000 km during the trials, which included firing tests.

Built at KPE's 15,000-m ² production facility in Nur-Sultan, the Barys 8 had previously undergone testing activities across Central Asia, withstanding temperatures between +45°C and –60°C during summer and winter trials, according to the company.

The vehicle has a crew of three (including the driver) and can transport up to eight fully equipped infantry troops. It has a top speed of 110 km/h, an operating range of 800 km, a payload of up to 9 tonnes, and features STANAG 4569 Level 4A and 4B protection against mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs), according to the manufacturer.

The Barys 8 is equipped with the locally produced ‘Ansar' remotely controlled turret, armed with a stabilised 30 mm 2A72 automatic cannon, and a coaxial 7.62-mm PKTM machine gun. KPE said that the vehicle can also be fitted with anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) launchers, with some computer-generated renders of the turret showing it fitted with four launchers for the Kornet family of missiles. For protection, the turret is also provided with two banks of three 81-mm obscurant smoke grenade launchers.