KMW and Rheinmetall get $1.2bn to produce 50 advanced Puma infantry fighting vehicles

The Federal Republic of Germany will increase its fleet of locally produced infantry fighting vehicles. In 2.5 years, the Bundeswehr will begin receiving new Puma. Deliveries will stretch over a year.

Here's What We Know

The Puma is a German combat vehicle manufactured by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) and Rheinmetall. The deal was almost $1.2 billion, with KMW getting $624 million and Rheinmetall getting $79 million less. The contract involves production of 50 new infantry fighting vehicles. If everything goes according to plan, deliveries will begin at the end of 2025 and will be completed in early 2025.

The deal comes after it was approved in early May. German lawmakers agreed to the purchase and gave the Ministry of Defence the authority to buy 179 new infantry fighting vehicles.

The Puma is a replacement for the Marder. The cost per armoured vehicle is approximately $17 million. The contract between the government and German companies involves the supply of additional equipment and spare parts.

At the end of last year, 18 vehicles broke down during a training exercise. This led to a freeze on the purchase of new and upgraded infantry fighting vehicles. However, already this year Germany decided to allocate over $800 million to upgrade the Puma to the S1 level.

Source: Breaking Defense