Germany upgrades more Puma IFVs

Germany is upgrading 143 Puma IFVs, which together with IdZ-ES form the German Army's System Panzergrenadier. (Rheinmetall)

Germany's Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (Bundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr: BAAINBw) has awarded a contract to Rheinmetall-Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) fifty-fifty joint venture Projekt System Management (PSM) to upgrade 143 more German Army Puma infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), the two companies announced in a joint press release on 19 April. Berlin was exercising two options of a June 2021 contract to upgrade 154 German Army Pumas. The two options are valued at EUR770 million (around USD846 million), compared with EUR1.04 billion for the original contract.

A Rheinmetall spokesperson told Janes on 24 April that four Pumas upgraded under the original contract had been delivered for verification. To Janes question on what accounts for the big difference in the contract values, the spokesperson said that not all the options of the original contract have been exercised.

The upgrade of 143 Pumas is scheduled for completion in 2029, the same date as the 154 IFVs of the original contract. This will bring 337 Pumas up to the S1 enhanced design status, including 40 IFVs already upgraded before the original contract was awarded with the K design status to serve with the German-led Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) in 2023. The Rheinmetall spokesperson said the K design status largely corresponds to the S design status. The first batch of 342 Puma IFVs and eight driver training versions has been delivered.