Germany Orders Upgrade of 143 PUMA IFVs to S1

Germany’s Federal Office for Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) has awarded Projekt System & Management GmbH (PSM) an order to retrofit a further 143 Puma infantry fighting vehicles.

PSM is a joint venture of Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) and Rheinmetall.

The German government is exercising two options contained in the contract for retrofitting original Puma infantry fighting vehicles to the new S1 design status. This contract was signed in June 2021.

The order volume is in the region of €770 million. By 2029, the key capabilities of firepower and command and control of all 143 Puma systems will be brought up to date.

Among other things, the retrofit includes integration of high-resolution day- and night-capable camera systems, the MELLS multirole-capable lightweight guided missile system, and digital radio equipment.

The parabolic and driver vision system heralds the end of the periscope era. For the first time, the entire crew will be able to “see through” the armour, day and night.

The fusion mode combines daylight vision with a high-quality thermal image, enabling early detection of camouflage targets around the clock. The S1 version of the Puma version is the first western combat vehicle that includes a system of this type as a standard feature.

Teamed with the VJTF 2023 version of Rheinmetall’s Future Soldier – Expanded System infantry (IdZ-ES) system, the S1 version of the Puma forms the System Panzergrenadier. For the first time in Germany, the System Panzergrenadier links a digitized platform – the advanced S1 version of the Puma IFV – to a soldier system featuring digital radio technology.