During a shooting exercise, rows of armored personnel carriers of the “Puma” type gave up the ghost. They should actually be used in the “spearhead” of NATO from 2023 – but whether that will happen is questionable. The Bundeswehr relies on the help of the manufacturers.
After the series of breakdowns during target practice with the “Puma” infantry fighting vehicle, the Bundeswehr wants to do everything possible to quickly restore operational readiness. Together with specialists from the armaments industry, there will be an immediate damage assessment, said the Inspector General of the Bundeswehr, Eberhard Zorn, the German Press Agency.
The procurement office BAAIN and the inspector of the army “will do everything to restore the state of affairs of the ‘Puma’,” said the general. And: “We will fulfill our commitment to NATO from January 1st.” Since the “Puma” will probably not be available by the end of April 2023, he will replace it in the NATO intervention force “until further notice” with the old but proven Marder infantry fighting vehicle, explained Major General Ruprecht von Butler.
Von Butler, who, as commander of the 10th Armored Division, was in charge of the firing practice, had started the matter in an internal letter. The troops had encountered serious technical problems during exercises for the “Spearhead” of NATO with the ultra-modern but also particularly vulnerable “Puma” infantry fighting vehicles. During a training session, all 18 combat vehicles failed within days, the “Spiegel” reported, citing Butler’s fire letter.
The maneuver took place at the armored personnel’s firing range, and the letter has caused a stir in the Ministry of Defense since Friday. “The troop units of the VJTF (“Very High Readyness Joint Task Force” – editor’s note) have my special attention. Immediately after I received the report about the failures of the ‘Puma’ after the end of the exercise, on the same evening I talked to the industry. They will support us with their teams,” said Zorn. The tanks were initially still on their way to their home bases.
The Puma infantry fighting vehicle, which had been plagued by numerous technical problems for years, was only declared combat-ready last year. The combat vehicle developed and produced by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) and Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH (RLS) had previously made headlines as a “breakdown tank”.
