BERLIN, — Germany’s Bundeswehr has received the first Puma infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) from its second production batch, supporting the modernization of its armored infantry units and the gradual replacement of the older Marder IFVs.
Projekt System Management GmbH (PSM), a joint venture between KNDS Deutschland and Rheinmetall that manages the Puma programme, announced the handover of the first S1-configured Puma on August 28, 2026.
The government contractor officially accepted the first two vehicles from the batch on August 27 and September 3, 2026. These vehicles will undergo further technical trials at the WTD 81 and WTD 91 military-technical centres before entering service.
50 vehicles ordered in second batch
The second production batch began with a May 2023 framework agreement between the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) and PSM for 50 new Puma IFVs.
The procurement is being carried out alongside the modernization of existing Puma vehicles to the common S1 standard. The Bundeswehr intends to introduce the S1 configuration across its Puma-equipped armored infantry units and training establishments.
Puma S1 capabilities
The Puma has a three-person crew and can carry six infantry soldiers. Its remotely controlled unmanned turret is equipped with a stabilized 30 mm MK30-2/ABM automatic cannon, a coaxial 5.56 mm MG4 machine gun, and, in the S1 and VJTF configurations, the MELLS anti-tank guided missile system with Spike LR missiles.
The 30 mm cannon has an effective range of up to 3 kilometers. The vehicle has an 800 kW engine, a maximum road speed of 70 km/h, and a combat weight of up to 43 metric tons in its highest protection configuration.
The S1 standard adds digital communications and command systems, improved observation equipment and 360-degree surveillance combining daytime cameras with thermal imaging. Its modular protection system is designed to protect against mines, improvised explosive devices, shaped-charge munitions and anti-tank guided missiles.
Germany orders another 200 Pumas
Germany is continuing to expand the fleet. In December 2025, the Bundeswehr ordered another 200 Puma IFVs from PSM through an amendment to the existing framework agreement.
The order is valued at approximately €4.2 billion and is divided equally between KNDS Deutschland and Rheinmetall. First deliveries are scheduled to begin in mid-2028. The agreement also covers corresponding protection modules and storage containers, while a further amendment for an S2 configuration is planned.
Together with the original production batch of 350 Puma vehicles, the second-batch procurement and the modernization of existing vehicles to the S1 standard form part of Germany’s long-term effort to equip its mechanized infantry forces with the Puma.
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