Puma (German infantry fighting vehicle)

German infantry fighting vehicle

Multishot grenade launcher for close in defense
| armour = AMAP modular composite armor composite armour
| engine = MTU Fried. Liste von Dieselmotoren für militärische Rad und Kettenfahrzeuge der MTU Friedrichshafen v10 11.1 litre
| crew = 3
| passengers = 6
| engine power = (at 3,800 rpm),

| speed = on road Mass production began on 6 July 2009. The companies responsible for this project are Krauss Maffei Wegmann and Rheinmetall Landsysteme, which created a joint venture, Projekt System Management GmbH (PSM). The Puma is one of the world's best protected IFVs, while still having a high power to weight ratio.

The Puma (formerly also named Igel (hedgehog) and Panther) started as a follow up project to the German 1996 "NGP" project (Neue Gepanzerte Plattformen, "New Armored Platforms"). Its aim was to collect ideas for a common base vehicle that could be used for a variety of tasks including that of the APC, IFV, air defense and replacing and assisting the MBT in the frontline combat role. The NGP project was ended in 2001. The lessons learned were incorporated into the new tactical concept named neuer Schützenpanzer ("new IFV") in 1998. Planning for the Puma as the successor of the Marder began in 2002. On 6 December 2010, the first two serial vehicles were handed over to the German Bundesamt für Wehrtechnik und Beschaffung. The Puma successfully completed cold tests in Norway in 2012. In August 2013, two Pumas were airlifted to the United Arab Emirates for hot weather tests. Trials included suitability for hot weather operations, firing and driving maneuvers in desert conditions, as well as firepower and mobility evaluations. During the trials, the temperature profiles inside the vehicle were measured, then compared to the ambient temperature. On 13 April 2015, the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In Service Support (BAAINBw) granted authorization of use of the Puma IFV. This began a program to "train the trainers" on the first seven vehicles and additional ones until the end of the year, when a training center will be set up to put Panzer Grenadiers of mechanized infantry companies through a three month course to familiarize them with their Pumas. The Puma officially entered service with the German military on 24 June 2015.

Keeping the weight within the 35 ton limit also led to a smaller calibre for the secondary armament, a coaxially mounted 5.56 mm HK MG4 machine gun firing at 850 rounds per minute and with an effective range of 1,000 m. The ammunition capacity is 2,000 rounds; 1,000 ready to fire and 1,000 in storage. While this is a smaller weapon than the western standard secondary armament (7.62 mm caliber MG), it offers the advantage that the crew can use the ammunition in their individual firearms. In situations where the lower range and penetration of the 5.56 mm rounds is an issue, the high ammunition load of the main gun enables the vehicle crew to use one or two main gun rounds instead. The gun housing can also host the 7.62 mm MG3. The MG4 is being replaced by the MG5 with the S1 variant. in common use today (and up to twice as powerful as the western de facto standard 12.7 mm .50 BMG cartridge). The frontal armor offers protection against medium caliber projectiles and shaped charge projectiles. In protection class C, the flanks of the Puma are up armored to about the same level of protection as is the front, while the roof armor is able to withstand artillery or mortar bomblets. The whole vehicle is protected against heavy blast mines (up to 10 kg) and projectile charges from below, while still retaining 450 mm ground clearance. Almost all equipment within the cabin, including the seats, has no direct contact to the floor, which adds to crew and technical safety. All cabin roof hatches are of the side slide type, which make them easier to open manually, even when they are obstructed by debris. The exhaust is mixed with fresh air and vented at the rear left side. Together with a special IR suppressing paint, this aims at reducing the thermal signature of the IFV.

The Pumas of the German Army will be equipped with a soft kill system called Multifunktionales Selbstschutz System (multifunction self protection system), MUSS, which is capable of defeating ATGMs.

The engine compartment and the crew compartment are equipped with a fire suppression system. The crew compartment is equipped with a full NBC system. Another crew safety measure is that the main fuel tanks are placed outside of the vehicle hull itself, mounted heavily armoured within the running gear carriers. While this may pose a higher penetration risk to the tanks, it is unlikely that both tanks will be penetrated at the same time, enabling the vehicle to retreat to a safer position in case of a breach. There is also a collector tank within the vehicle, which acts as a reserve tank in case of a double tank breach.

The Puma offers improvements in situational awareness. The fully stabilized 360° periscope (PERI RTWL by Hensoldt) with six different zoom stages offers a direct glass optic link to either the commander or the gunner. Since this is an optical line, it had to be placed in the turret center, one of the reasons why the main cannon is mounted off center on the turret. Via an additional CCD camera the picture from this line can also be fed into the on board computer network and displayed on all electronic displays within the vehicle. Besides that, the periscope offers an optronic thermal vision mode and a wide angle camera with three zoom stages to assist the driver, as well as a laser range finder. The whole array is hunter killer capable. The commander also has five vision blocks. The gunner optics, which can be completely protected with a slide hatch, are mounted coaxially to the main gun. The gunner has a thermal vision camera and laser range finder (identical to those on the PERI) and an optronic day sight, rounded off with a glass block. The driver has three of vision blocks, as well as an image intensifier and a display for optronic image feeds. The passenger cabin has a hatch and three vision blocks on the rear right side of the vehicle, one of them in a rotary mount. The rear cabin also has two electronic displays. All in all, the Puma has an additional five external cameras at its rear in swing mounts for protection while not in use. Apart from the glass optic periscope view directly accessible directly by the commander and gunner and indirectly via the CCD camera, all optronic picture feeds can be displayed on every electronic display within the vehicle. The provisions for the rear cabin enable the passengers to be more active than previously in assisting the vehicle crew either directly through the vision blocks and hatches, or by observing one or more optronic feeds. The whole crew has access to the onboard intercom. R&S SOVERON handheld (HR) and vehicle (VR) radios have been commissioned to equip Pumas of the German element of Very High Joint Readiness Task Force 2023 (VJTF 2023).

Traditionally, IFVs are expected to interact with main battle tanks (MBTs) on the battlefield. In reality, many IFVs are not mobile enough to keep up with the pace of an MBT. The Puma aims to close this gap with several key technologies. Firstly, its compact, lightweight MTU Diesel engine is unusually strong at 800 kW nominal output. Even at the 43 t maximum weight in protection class C, it has a higher kW/t ratio than the Leopard 2 MBT it is supposed to supplement. The vehicle prototypes have a five road wheel decoupled running gear, and use a hydropneumatic "In Arm" Horstmann suspension to improve cross country performance while reducing crew and material stress by limiting vibrations and noise. The road wheels are asymmetrical, mounted closer to each other at the front. This is to counter the front heavy balance, inevitable because of the heavy frontal armor as well as the engine and drive train which are also situated at the front. The 500mm wide steel tracks made by Diehl Defence are of new construction and lighter than previous designs. The serial production vehicles will have a symmetrical arranged six road wheel running gear as shown on released pictures by the manufacturer. In December 2023, 53 reserve engines were ordered as spare parts in order to enable the maintenance of the existing engine without decreasing the availability. The engine requires a general overhaul every 1,000 operating hours, after a mileage of 10,000 km or every ten years.

The Australian Army sought a 'Mounted Close Combat Capability' within its Land 400 Phase 3 procurement program. The Puma IFV was one of the potential contenders. In November 2018, Project System & Management GmbH (PSM), the joint venture between Krauss Maffei Wegmann and Rheinmetall announced the Puma would not compete in the Land 400 Phase 3 project. The Department of National Defence was considering the purchase of vehicles meant to accompany the Leopard 2 into combat. The CV90, the Puma and the Véhicule blindé de combat d'infanterie were the most likely candidates for the role. A contract of 108, with an option for up to 30 more was looked at. The project has since been cancelled. Offered by the German Army to supplement the Leopard 2 and the possibility of manufacturing it under license by FAMAE, but the German offer didn't lead to any discussion for a purchase. In 2016, the Croatian Army was looking at replacing the 128 M80A IFV that were in its inventory. Several contenders were considered, including the CV90 and the Puma. 108 vehicles were expected (88 IFV, 8 command and control vehicles, 8 armoured ambulances, and 4 driving training vehicles). It was expected to be purchased from 2021. For budget reasons, the Croatian Army settled on 89 M2A2 Bradley (ODS variant) for $145.3 million. The Croatian Army decided its purchase in 2020, and the contract was signed in January 2022. It includes 62 fully equipped and fully restored (M2A2 ODS), 5 for training, 22 for spare parts, they will be delivered in 2023 26. Czech Army is looking to buy 210 new infantry fighting vehicles for €2 Bln. between 2019 and 2024. All of them will replace aging BMP 2 in IFV and supporting variants. There will probably be an option to 100 more vehicles. In June 2017 five types of IFV (two versions of CV90, Lynx, ASCOD and Puma) were evaluated during a nine days testing. Based on unofficial information from the Czech general staff, Puma might be selected based on its "technological superiority". In December 2018, Puma was shortlisted together with the ASCOD, CV90 and Lynx In October 2019 it was announced that the Puma was being withdrawn from the competition. The manufacturer said that the Czech Army requirements would require an expensive redesign to the existing Puma which it was unwilling to undertake. The Czech army selected the CV9030 MkIV in July 2022 and signed the contract in December 2022. The Hungarian Defence Forces was looking to buy 200 new infantry fighting vehicles between 2020 and 2026. All of them were to replace the aging BTR 80 APCs. Eventually the Hungarian government decided on the Lynx. The United States Army sought a new family of vehicles to replace the aging fleet of M113 APCs and M2 Bradleys with the BCT Ground Combat Vehicle Program. With modification, the Puma satisfied the technical requirements of the BCT Ground Combat Vehicle Program and was offered by SAIC and Boeing. The SAIC Boeing team was not awarded a technology development contract for their Puma based vehicle in August 2011, and then filed a protest. The protest was denied in December 2011 based on concerns over the vehicle's force protection features, primarily the proposed active protection system and underbody armor, and 20 significant weaknesses which had potential solutions offered that were judged as inadequate. On 2 April 2013, the Congressional Budget Office released a report that advised purchasing current infantry fighting vehicles instead of developing a new vehicle for the GCV program. Buying the Puma would save $14.8 billion, and was called the most capable vehicle. The Army responded by saying no existing vehicle could match requirements to replace the Bradley.