Posted on 06/24/2015 5:27:28 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
Germany’s unified armed forces received its first production of Puma armored infantry fighting vehicles (AIFV) on Tuesday during a ceremony at the Unterluss Proving Ground.
The Puma has a baseline weight of 31.45 tons, allowing it to be lifted by an Airbus A400M transport, according to IHS Jane. When fitted with its armor package, the vehicle weighs up to 43 tons. The vehicle is also equipped with a remote-controlled turret (RCT) armed with a 30 mm Mauser MK 30-2 cannon, and a 5.56 mm MG4 co-axial machine gun.
These weapons are operated by a computerized day/night fire control system that enables the vehicle to target both stationary and moving targets.
Having already undergone several changes, the Puma AIFV is set to replace the current Rheinmetall Landsysteme Marder 1 IFV, adopted by the Bundeswehr in 1971 and constantly upgraded since.
The vehicles will be delivered to the Munster Training Center Projekt System & Management (PSM), where they will be fitted with equipment before being transferred to troops for a three-month training period. The troops will then return to their home bases with the vehicles and proceed to train the remaining Puma crew.
PSM was awarded the original Puma contract in 2004, with a total of $4.9 billion, or EUR 4.3 billion, and will continue to manage the vehicles’ logistics and maintenance along with the Bundeswehr. The original plan included the delivery of 405 Pumas, however the number has been reduced to 305, including eight driver training vehicles. The full delivery is expected to be complete by 2020.
How much bier and wurst can it carry?
Back in the day of the Wehrmacht, the Germans named their tanks Tiger, Panther and Lynx.
Today in the more sensitive progressive Bundeswehr, you woudl think they’d have less threatening names like Angora and Shihtzu.
I’m surprised that the coaxial machine gun isn’t a larger calibe4r.
Looks like a lower-profile Bradley.
Snazzy
Over $16,000,000 US each, a bit pricy, but who cares when taxpayers are footing the pill.
My guess would be enough to get the job done. :-) Prost!
Money well spent. PRIVATE sector jobs. Boost to economy. A tangible asset(Unlike social welfare giveaways).
Heavier than the M4 Sherman tank.
That is what the 30mm is for.
Small caliber to rip up people, large caliber to rip up thin skinned vehicles.
Utter fallacious nonsense. read Bastiat's That which is seen and that which is not seen to help cure your economic ignorance.
MG-42 was 7.92
The 5.56 is supposed to allow for interchangeability of ammo with the crew’s individual weapons. Supposedly the mount can accept a 7.62...I imagine they’d make the swap real quick in a real situation.
This features a remote controlled turret. There are many proponents of such a turret in the US Army - for the next tank, in particular.
It offers a promise of crew safety, which is hard to resist.
But IMHO, no amount of sensors, cameras, and vision blocks can replace the ability to peek out of the hatch and gain an understanding of the situation around you. And the crew must rely heavily on gps for navigation.
I’m curious to see how crews like this vehicle and perform in this vehicle...hopefully the US Army will pay close attention.
Looks far better than the LAV III. The big difference is track vs wheels. Track will always go more places.
“Looks far better than the LAV III. The big difference is track vs wheels. Track will always go more places.”
Well I agree...but I’m not even sure the vehicles are in the same class or comparable to each other.
They’re both AIFVs, designed to carry troops in, provide fire support and close with and destroy the enemy.
I will say though, the 25mm will punch through dang near anything, it’s a good gun.
I would say that the Puma or Bradley are around 75% heavier than an LAV, and are meant to fight and maneuver alongside main battle tanks off-road (our current Battalion structure actually combines tank and mech infantry units together). And, the infantry dismount from a Bradley directly into the fight.
I would categorize the LAV as a well armored people mover, that rapidly moves bodies on high speed axis of approach to staging areas, usually in an urban area, where infantry climb out and assemble for a patrol/etc. Or as a gauntlet runner, meant to move troops safely through hostile urban areas.
I have no problem with either...both have specific rolls.
You brought up the 25 mm. I believe that within 15 years, DU ammunition will be either banned internationally, or our own government will self-ban them. I hope the Army is researching the performance of the 25mm without DU, in anticipation of this development.
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