EPuma has sharp claws, is strong and can jump high. All the special requests that the procurement office has received over the years for the infantry fighting vehicle of the same name sometimes seem like attaching springs and knives to the paws of a Puma – somehow overloaded.
It is logical that the armaments manufacturers KMW and Rheinmetall are not opposed to accepting additional orders and converting the infantry fighting vehicle according to the wishes of the customer Bundeswehr. It would be fatal to miss out on additional sales.
However, the long-standing problems of the Puma infantry fighting vehicle show that the project is overloaded. The long-known bad planning culminates in the lack of operational capability of the recently upgraded combat equipment – it is particularly unpleasant because the realization does not come in times of peace, but in a tense security situation in Europe.
It is still unclear what caused the failure of the 18 Puma infantry fighting vehicles, but the reputational damage for all sides has long been there. One thing is clear: the Bundeswehr has to deal with what it has in stock, scrapping is not an option. When planning ahead, more defensiveness and less frills are needed.
