German Puma order is biggest ever

10 July 2009, 17:00 PM

Germany's government placed an order Monday for 405 Puma armored fighting vehicles from a joint venture of Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW), according to a KMW statement. The series production order is worth about 3.1 billion euros ($4.3 billion), and both of the German companies said it is the largest order they have ever received. The contractor is PSM GmbH, Kassel. KMW and Rheinmetall each hold a 50 percent stake in the joint venture. The Puma, a tracked armored personnel carrier equipped with a 30mm cannon, is designed to resist land mines, rocket-propelled grenades and improvised explosive devices, and to be quickly airlifted to conflict zones. Deliveries to the German Army are scheduled to begin next year. Source: www.defensenews.com