Conclusions
The new fighting vehicle of Bundeswehr infantry is not only one of the newest vehicles of that
class in the world, but it is also one of the most modern. The manufacturers managed to meet
strict requirements of the army. Puma distinguishes itself thanks to the unusual level of ballistic
and anti-mine resistance that may be compared to some of the main battle tanks and heavy
armored transporters such as the Israeli Achzarit or Namer. What draws attention is the optoelec-
tronic equipment and communications systems configured to work with future infantry systems
In terms of mobility, the vehicle is also one of the best in the world.
When looking at the Puma program, one should, however, bear in mind that it results from years
of experience gained with lots of effort and significant funds throughout several dozen of years.
The manufacturer of the vehicle could make use of many ready solutions, reducing the technical
risk to a reasonable minimum. Requirements of the ordering party, which were rather difficult to
be met, did not mention the requirement of buoyancy that, in practice, would prevent the machine
from having proper armor. The future user also agreed that Puma will be a very expensive vehicle.
www.fragoutmag.com
