ST Engineering’s latest Terrex s5 makes its Polish debut at MSPO, bringing a distinctly Singaporean blend of digital intelligence, heavy payload and 120 km/h road mobility to Europe’s armoured-vehicle conversation
At MSPO 2026, ST Engineering is presenting the Terrex s5 Hybrid Electric Drive (HED) to the European market for the first time. The appearance is significant: rather than simply displaying another 8×8 armoured vehicle, the Singaporean group is putting forward a platform conceived around five “S” capabilities — Smartness, Superiority, Sustainability, Survivability and Serviceability.
If the traditional wheeled infantry fighting vehicle is a strong, mobile and well-protected workhorse, the Terrex s5 wants to be the workhorse that has also learnt to think, see and connect. Its defining proposition is the combination of a 35-tonne-class chassis with a digital architecture designed for manned-unmanned teaming, advanced sensor fusion, assisted driving and high-demand mission systems.
Digital at its core
The Terrex s5’s most distinctive feature is its focus on vehicle intelligence. In the forward compartment, the driver and commander sit side by side and use a digital cockpit built around three large colour displays, dedicated consoles and gaming-style control interfaces. The arrangement allows driving responsibility to be exchanged between the two front crew members, while the displays support a “see-through armour” concept based on external cameras and image processing.
ST Engineering has incorporated 360° situational-awareness functions, enhanced low-light imaging, obstacle detection and a bird’s-eye view of the immediate environment. The system is designed to provide bearing and range information for objects around the vehicle, reducing crew workload and improving safety when manoeuvring in restricted terrain, urban areas or congested deployment zones.
The electronic architecture also supports waypoint driving, automatic target detection, target tracking and target classification. Crucially for modern formations, it can control unmanned aerial and ground systems. A tethered unmanned aerial system, stored in a roof-mounted box towards the rear of the vehicle, supplements the all-round camera suite and gives the crew an elevated observation point without forcing personnel to expose themselves outside the hull.
This is particularly relevant in a European operational environment where short-range reconnaissance, drone threats and the speed of sensor-to-shooter decision-making are now central considerations. The Terrex s5 is therefore not merely an infantry carrier with screens added afterwards; it is intended as a connected combat node.
Payload with a purpose
The Terrex s5 has a gross vehicle mass of 35,000 kg and an impressive payload allowance of 13,000 kg. Its dimensions are 8.3 metres in length, 3 metres in width and 2.7 metres in hull height. These figures place it firmly among the larger and more growth-oriented modern 8×8 platforms.
In infantry fighting vehicle configuration, the rear compartment accommodates ten dismounts seated in two rows of five, facing one another. With its crew, the vehicle carries 12 personnel. The payload margin is intended to enable a broad family of mission variants, including command-post, anti-tank missile carrier and mortar-carrier versions. ST Engineering also sees scope for direct-fire support variants mounting at least a 105 mm rifled gun and potentially a 120 mm smoothbore weapon.
The vehicle shown in the original Terrex s5 configuration was fitted with ST Engineering’s Adder Remote Weapon Station 30. This mounts a stabilised 30×173 mm cannon with 250 ready rounds and a coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun with 500 rounds. The weapon station features automatic surveillance, automatic target detection and tracking, target classification, touch-screen target designation and video tracking. Its elevation envelope extends from -20° to +60°, a valuable characteristic in built-up areas and against elevated targets. The turret can also be configured to integrate anti-tank guided missiles and counter-UAS sensors.
Built for rough ground
Despite its size, the Terrex s5 is designed to remain highly mobile. The conventional diesel-powered vehicle uses a 711 hp turbo-diesel engine coupled to an automatic transmission with seven forward and two reverse gears. It is credited with a maximum road speed of 120 km/h and a cruising road range of 1,000 km.
Independent suspension is fitted across all eight wheels, with the possibility of height-adjustable or active-suspension arrangements. The standard layout includes a steerable front axle, while rear-axle steering is available as an option. ST Engineering quotes turning radii of less than 10 metres in the standard steering arrangement and less than 8.5 metres with the additional steering capability. The vehicle also features a central tyre-inflation system and run-flat inserts.
The mobility figures are equally substantial: 40-degree approach and departure angles, a 60% gradient, a 30% side slope, a 0.7-metre vertical obstacle, a 2-metre trench-crossing capability and 1.8 metres of fording depth for the non-amphibious vehicle.
Protection is stated at STANAG 4569 Level 4 for ballistic threats and Level 4a/4b for mine blast. The hull incorporates an improved V-shaped underbody compared with earlier Terrex generations, while the design retains growth potential for additional protection and an active protection system.
The hybrid-electric dimension
The version debuting at MSPO is the Terrex s5 HED, underlining the “Sustainability” element of the design. ST Engineering describes the platform as combining AI-enabled technologies, digital connectivity and hybrid-electric-drive capability, with increased onboard and exportable electrical power for advanced payloads, autonomous systems and manned-unmanned teaming.
Earlier company material indicated that the Terrex s5 was designed from the outset to be “hybrid electric drive ready”. The concept involves a serial-hybrid approach, initially employing e-axles, and aims to improve silent mobility, power generation and operational efficiency. Such a configuration is increasingly relevant as armoured vehicles must support radars, electronic-warfare equipment, counter-drone sensors, communications suites and unmanned platforms — all of which compete for electrical power.
The Terrex s5’s first showing in Poland therefore comes at an opportune moment. MSPO audiences will see not just a new Singaporean 8×8, but a platform designed for an era in which survivability is inseparable from connectivity, electrical power and the ability to cooperate with unmanned systems. In short: the Terrex s5 is arriving in Kielce with eight wheels, a heavy payload — and rather a lot on its mind.
By Jules Roukoz
