How broken are the Puma tanks really?

Dhe bad news reaches Christine Lambrecht in Africa. It’s Thursday, December 15, and the Minister of Defense is visiting German troops in Mali. She is shown armored vehicles and drones, talks to soldiers and lights an Advent candle at the field service.

But then this e-mail: During an exercise in Munster, Lower Saxony, all 18 of the new Puma infantry fighting vehicles involved failed. The Bundeswehr, the message reads, is once again blank. And this of all times, shortly before the New Year, when NATO has firmly planned the Pumas for its rapid reaction force.

The Puma would like to be the best infantry fighting vehicle in the world. A Porsche compared to its old predecessor, the Marder. The most powerful engine and the most modern technology are installed in it. A computer on chains, fully digitized. But that is precisely why it is particularly susceptible to disruption. The manufacturers have had to make improvements again and again in recent years.

There were also a variety of change requests and bureaucratic requirements. The result: Huge delays and huge costs. The reading light in the Puma now also complies with the German Workplace Lighting Ordinance, and the exit flaps are also suitable for pregnant women.

But even these Pumas are worthless to NATO if they don’t meet their standards. So far, however, only around 40 tanks have been certified for the rapid reaction force. Therefore, more Pumas are now to be modernized. And fast. On Wednesday December 14, the budget committee should release the necessary money: 850.5 million euros.

On the morning before the meeting, however, the air in the army was already burning. The news of the broken armored personnel carriers had just arrived. Major General Ruprecht von Butler, commander of the 10th Panzer Division, called Johann Langenegger, the Deputy Inspector of the Army, that morning. Not quite an ordinary process, as some say. Damage to individual vehicles is not a matter for the supreme army command. Just as the procurement of paper clips is not a matter for the head of the Chancellery. In addition, that morning, i.e. immediately after the last failures, the damage situation was anything but clear.

On the other hand, there were urgent reasons for reporting the matter to the top. Butler had doubts about the fundamental suitability of the Puma. And he knew: If this weapon system fails, “Plan B” must be activated. Then the Bundeswehr will have to offer NATO the old but reliable “Marder” for its spearhead in the remaining time, within two weeks. Hurry was the order of the day.

So Butler reported to Langenegger on the phone. Langenegger instructed him to draw up a written report.

Parliament was not informed

Parliament and the minister were apparently not informed at first, and so the budget committee approved the 850 million for the modernization a few hours later. You had no idea what was going on in Munster. “A good day for the Bundeswehr,” said Lambrecht, before boarding the government plane to Africa. The turning point is now being filled “with life”. She wanted to end her difficult first year as Secretary of Defense with a win. And the Puma should be part of that successful record.