That’s who in Germany will modernize Puma armored vehicles
German Bundeswehr awarded PSM joint venture (Rheinmetall and Kmw) a contract to upgrade the first batch of its Puma infantry fighting vehicles
The Armed Forces of Germany (Bundeswehr) have awarded a contract worth over 500 thousand euros for the modernization of Puma armored infantry vehicles to Project System & Management (Psm), a 50/50 joint venture founded in 2002 by the German defense conglomerates Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (Kmw).
As reported by the Handelsblatt newspaper, taken up by Agenzia Nova , the works will start next July and should be completed by 2029.
In a first phase, the order includes 154 Puma and has a gross value of 1.04 billion euros for the Psm joint venture. The contract awarded by the Bundeswehr to PSM provides for an option for the modernization of another 143 Puma, worth 820 million euros.
All the details.
THE VALUE OF THE ORDER FOR RHEINMETALL
For Rheinmetall, the order will result in further orders within Pms, for example in the field of electronic vision systems. In doing so, the German defense industry giant would then earn another hundreds of millions of euros.
WHAT THE MODERNIZATION CONSISTS OF
The modernization aims to bring the majority of the first batch of the Bundeswehr's existing fleet of 350 Puma vehicles to the S1 advanced design state. In preparation for NATO High Readiness Joint Task Force VJTF 2023, which will be provided by the Bundeswehr, forty Puma IFVs have already been upgraded to S1 status. Of the 350 German Pumas, the only ones not included in the modernization program are the 13 vehicles for driver training.
THE PUMA PROGRAM
Manufactured by PSM and in service in the German Armed Forces since 2015, the Puma has advanced modular composite armor (AMAP) and a 30mm Mk-30-2 automatic cannon, made by Rheinmettall, as main armament.
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ARMORED
The rate of fire is two thousand shots per minute, with a useful range of up to three thousand meters. The ammunition is decalibrated and full caliber, multi-purpose. The first category is of the kinetic penetration type, while the second is designed to create a squad by splitting into smaller bullets.
The Puma is equipped with 400 cannon shots, of which 200 are ready for use and the same number in reserve. The secondary armament consists of a Mg4 light machine gun with a 5.56 mm caliber, designed by the German defense company Heckler & Koch (H&K), with a firing rate of 850 rounds per minute and a useful range of up to one thousand meters. . There are two thousand bullets, half of which for ready use and half in reserve. The range of the vehicle is 460 kilometers for a maximum speed of 70 kilometers per hour on the road. The crew consists of three members. The Puma carries six Panzergrenadiere, or armored grenadiers, the German mechanized infantry.
ARMY OF MISSILE SPIKE
Finally, the Puma vehicle is equipped with a Spike-Lr anti-tank missile, produced by the Israeli defense group Rafael, a 76 mm grenade launcher and a smoke launcher.
RHEINMETALL'S PROPOSALS TO THE ITALIAN DEFENSE
Finally, we remind you that the German defense giant is showing itself particularly active on the Italian side . The group has committed to identifying operational requirements for the Army Dart replacement, which is expected to be operational by 2025. The requirement is 400-600 vehicles over ten years.
Specifically, Rheinmetall Italia proposed the creation of an Italian pole of excellence through the consolidation of the national terrestrial sector, as illustrated in January 2021 in a hearing with the Defense Committee of the Chamber.
But Rheinmetall Italia's proposal must meet Leonardo's favor. The former Finmeccanica, together with CNH Industrial, controls the Iveco-Oto Melara (Cio) consortium, leader of the land armaments industry. It does not end here. Rheinmetall Italia relaunches in fact by linking the Dardo replacement program (Infantry Fighting Vehicles category) to the participation of our country in the Franco-German tank project MGCS .
“The Dardo replacement program represents the starting point on which to build the Italian participation in the MGCS project and respond to the ambition of the national industry to obtain important shares. If seen with a view to strengthening national assets, the MGCS will offer the opportunity to bring Italy to Europe, but also Europe to Italy ”said Alessandro Ercolani, CEO of Rheinmetall Italia at Formiche.net .
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/innovazione/ecco-chi-in-germania-ammodernera-i-blindati-puma/ on Wed, 30 Jun 2021 06:44:00 +0000.