Despite the recent technical failures on the German-made Puma tracked armored Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV), German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht announced that the vehicle will continue to be used by the German army (Bundeswehr).
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German-made PUMA IFV tracked armored Infantry Fighting Vehicle. (Picture source Army Recognition)
On December 18, 2022, the German-made Puma IFVs (Infantry Fighting Vehicles) were reportedly plagued by defects during a recent training exercise.
According to information released by the German army, during military exercises, the Puma IFV armored vehicle encountered numerous technical problems. Citing a report, after a training exercise involving 18 state-of-the-art Puma infantry fighting vehicles, not a single one was left operational.
Due to this situation, the Puma IFV was not allowed to be deployed in NATO’s spearhead Very High Readiness Joint Task Force next year and will instead be replaced with the older but proven Marder IFV, said Major General Ruprecht von Butler.
On Friday, January 13, 2023, German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht was in a meeting with the chairmen of Rheinmetall AG and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann GmbH & Co. KG, which guaranteed the Puma remained one of the best IFV in the world and that Rheinmetall would solve the technical problems encountered by the German army. During this meeting, Christine Lambrecht said “The German armed forces will continue to use the Puma IFV”.
The development of the PUMA IFV vehicle started in 2002 and it entered into service with the German army in 2015. It was developed by the German company Rheinmetall Landsysteme and is considered to be one of the most advanced IFVs in the world. The vehicle is designed to provide protection for the troops inside, while also being highly mobile and well-armed.
The Puma IFV is considered as one of the best-protected IFVs in the world. The Puma’s armor is made of a combination of steel, titanium, and ceramics, which provides protection against small arms fire, artillery fragments, and mine blasts. The vehicle also has an active protection system (APS) that can detect and intercept incoming anti-tank rockets and missiles.
