Actually, the new infantry fighting vehicle “Puma” should be used in the coming year with the rapid reaction force of the NATO. But there are doubts about its reliability. After a target practice with 18 “Puma” a commander of the Bundeswehr reports a total failure.
In a confidential incendiary email to the Army Inspector this week, the commander of the 10th Armored Division reported that after a firing practice of 18 ultra-modern Puma infantry fighting vehicles, not a single one was ready for action. According to information from the “Spiegel” they should be used in the coming year for the NATO Rapid Reaction Force. Major General Ruprecht von Butler writes that the last two “Pumas” that were still operational failed “on yesterday’s shooting day after an hour and a half with turret defects”.
The troops were already aware of the nature of the defects, the e-mail said, but they had “never occurred with this frequency before.” This was not to be expected, because the systems were only moved to shooting ranges in the North German lowlands and were “not overused” there. According to the estimate of the foreman of the affected company, which he considers very credible, the general writes, “we must assume that the company will only be fully operational again in three to four months.”
“You can imagine how the troops are now evaluating the reliability of the ‘Puma’ system,” he reports to the army inspector. “Despite all the good preparations, the operational readiness of the vehicle is going to be a lottery game, unfortunately I have to put it so harshly.” This cannot be compared with the usual reliability of German land vehicles. “This is particularly stressful for the troops under my command.” Since the “Puma” will probably not be available by the end of April 2023, he will replace it in the NATO rapid reaction force “for the time being” with the old but proven “Marder” infantry fighting vehicle.
The “Puma” armored personnel carrier, which was plagued by numerous technical problems, 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”.
