Germany Eyes €5B Order for 3rd Batch of Puma Infantry Fighting Vehicles

Germany is planning to procure a third batch of Puma infantry fighting vehicles, valued at approximately €5 billion ($5.75 billion), to expand the Bundeswehr’s armored capabilities, German defense publication Hartpunkt reported on August 7.

The procurement aligns with Berlin’s expanding medium-term defense commitments. German government had previously approved key targets for its 2027 budget, departmentally reserving €144.9 billion ($169.53 billion) for national defense and securing long-term financial backing for Ukraine.

German defense company Rheinmetall’s CEO Armin Papperger disclosed during an analyst conference that his company expects to generate roughly €2.5 billion ($2.88 billion) from the prospective order, Hartpunkt wrote.

The planned acquisition aligns with long-term defense spending projections outlined in the German government’s 2027 draft budget, which reserves over €16 billion ($18.4 billion) in commitment authorizations for the Puma program between 2028 and 2039, according to Hartpunkt.

Industry analysts estimate that the €5 billion ($5.75 billion) allocation will cover roughly 200 additional combat vehicles, helping address structural manpower and material requirements across German armored infantry units.

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Germany previously secured 350 Puma vehicles in its initial production batch, followed by a second order of 50 units upgraded to the modern S1 configuration, Hartpunkt detailed.

By late 2025, Berlin had commissioned an additional 200 Puma S1 vehicles, with delivery scheduled to begin in 2028. Once all pending orders are delivered, the Bundeswehr’s active fleet will reach roughly 600 units, bringing the military closer to the German Army’s stated long-term target of 1,000 armored infantry vehicles.

Rheinmetall’s manufacturing momentum coincides with industrial support for Ukrainian forces operating German armored systems. Armin Papperger had previously stated that the defense contractor is opening a localized repair hub in Ukraine to streamline maintenance and spare parts supply for Marder IFVs and Leopard main battle tanks.

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