The Puma Infantry Fighting Vehicle - Overview and Opinion

The Puma is a German infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (Schützenpanzer or short SPz) designed to replace the aging Marder IFVs currently in service with the German Army. Production of the first batch of 350 vehicles began in 2010 and is scheduled for completion by August 2020. A second batch of 210 Pumas has received funding. Mass production began on 6 July 2009. The companies responsible for this project are Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Rheinmetall Landsysteme, who created a joint venture in the form of 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. SAIC offered a derivative of the Puma as its contender in the now cancelled American GCV Infantry Fighting Vehicle program.

The Puma is one of the most protected IFV currently available. It has a welded armor hull with add-on modular armor. It has an option of three various protection levels to suit operational needs. Weight of the vehicle vary from 29.4 to 43 tons accordingly to a protection level. There are some other IFVs that are even heavier, and possibly more protected than the Puma, including a German Lynx KF-41 and Russian Armata heavy IFV. However both of these IFVs are still being developed and so far received no production orders, while the Puma is an operational vehicle, which is being built in significant numbers.

The base model has a front and flank protection against 30 mm rounds, while vehicle has an all-round protection against 14.5 mm machine gun fire. The most protected variant can be considered as a heavy IFV. Additional armor modules can be fitted, increasing Puma's weight to 43 tons. Furthermore in this configuration it it is even heavier than the T-72 main battle tank. It seems that the most protected variant of the Puma withstands 120- and 125 mm projectiles over the front arc. Vehicle also withstands mine blasts equivalent to 10 kg of TNT. The Puma IFV also features an advanced threat warning system. NBC protection and automatic fire suppressions systems are fitted as standard.

Vehicle is armed with a remotely operated weapon station. It includes a Mauser 30 mm dual-fed cannon. This cannon is used on Austrian Ulan and Spanish Pizarro IFVs. It has an effective range of 3 km. The Puma will be armed with an ATGW launcher, however its type is still unknown. Possibly it will be Spike or one of its variants. Secondary armament consists of a 5.56 mm machine gun and a 76 mm grenade launcher for a close-range defense.

The Puma infantry fighting vehicle has a crew of three, while it can accommodate up to eight infantrymen in the rear compartment. Passengers enter and leave the vehicle via rear power-operated ramp. Vehicle is fitted with an air conditioning.

Vehicle is powered by MTU 892 turbocharged diesel engine, developing a whooping 1 073 horsepower. Engine of this IFV is more powerful than engines of some of the main battle tanks. For example the original T-72 tank had a 720 hp engine, while a current Russian T-90A main battle tank is powered by a 1 000 hp engine. This German IFV is not amphibious due to its weight.

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