Germany Prepares Third Puma IFV Order as Rheinmetall Signals 2027 Contract
Germany is preparing a possible third order of Puma infantry fighting vehicles, with Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger now expecting the contract to be signed in 2027 rather than this year.
Papperger made the remarks during an analyst conference, according to German defense publication Hartpunkt. He indicated the next Puma contract would bring Rheinmetall around €2.5 billion in revenue — implying a total order value of roughly €5 billion, given that Puma procurement runs through Projekt System & Management GmbH, the 50:50 joint venture between Rheinmetall and KNDS Deutschland.
The potential follow-on order would extend a program already reinforced by Germany's December 2025 purchase of 200 additional vehicles for about €4.2 billion, with first deliveries scheduled from mid-2028. In May 2023, the BAAINBw ordered 50 Puma vehicles in the S1 configuration for approximately €1.087 billion, with deliveries planned between December 2025 and early 2027.
The Bundeswehr is simultaneously upgrading its existing fleet. Contracts awarded between 2023 and 2024 cover 297 Puma vehicles already in service, bringing them to the S1 standard by 2029. The modernization adds high-resolution camera systems, integration of the MELLS anti-tank missile system and new digital radio equipment.
A fleet approaching 1,000 Puma vehicles would give the Bundeswehr greater mechanized depth, allowing it to generate Panzergrenadier units alongside Leopard 2 tank formations while sustaining German production lines and land-systems expertise.
The Puma is operated by a three-person crew and carries six infantry. Its remotely operated turret mounts a Rheinmetall MK30-2/ABM 30 mm cannon, and combat weight reaches around 43 tonnes depending on protection configuration, powered by an MTU diesel developing approximately 1,088 horsepower.
The prospective order comes as the draft 2027 federal budget allocates €109.7 billion to the German Ministry of Defence, in addition to the remaining resources of the Bundeswehr special fund.