SPZ Puma

Germany (2009)- 350 built (529 planned).

The Schützenpanzer Puma (SPz Puma) is the latest German infantry fighting vehicle, still the preferred mount Panzergrenadier and replacement for the cold war Marder IFV. Production with an order of 350 vehicles started in 2010, and was completed in August 2021. A second batch of 229 were recently funded after a massive plan to rearm Germany following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The first vehicle was produced on 6 July 2009 by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, alongside Rheinmetall Landsysteme in a joint venture, "Projekt System Management GmbH" (PSM). The Puma is much heavier than the Marder and is claimed to be the world's best best-protected IFV, while still having one of the highest power-to-weight ratio. Today the Bundeswehr remains the only customer, but the vehicle competed in many bids (Austrlia, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Czech Rep., Hungary, USA), but won none so far.

Development

Evolution of German Mechanized Infantry

Schützenpanzer Lang, the granddady of German IFVs

The Panzergrenadiers were created in the later interwar, greenlighted as a mounted infantry as part of the development of panzerdivisions as a concept. It was obvious at the time, to Guderian and others, that tanks without infantry were doomed to failure and both were complementary. The first were ideal to create breakthrough but depending on the terrain (urban in particular) or forests, the second brought a counter to enemy infantry that could creep in and provide better reconnaissance. Later, the Panzergrenadier were, still a simple infantry attached to armour units, but either a mechanized or motorized infantry. This depended on their mount, "mechanized" rode on armoured half-tracks, closer to the fight, and "motorized" on softskin trucks, generally in second echelon. Thus, well before an IFV became a thing, the Wehrmacht's Panzerdivisions depended on this way to escort and protect it from enemy infantry or advancing assaults on to the enemy flanks, all on Sd.Kfz.250 and Sd.Kzf.251 vehicles in 1940, but by 1944 shortages meant they were lucky to have any truck at all.

When the bundeswehr was created in 1955, the concept looked still valid. The staff looked at the most recent developments abroad, notably the US M44, M59 and M75 APCs, and albeit the concept was still too early for the Korean War, APCs became a staple of the Vietnam war and in between. Germany adopted the M113 by the way, but used it for a different role. The Soviet Union also unveiled wheeled APC that can do the job, but faster. Meanwhile in France in 1950, Hotchkiss proposed to the general Staff concepts of light armoured tracked vehicles for specialized roles. By November 1955, a German delegation visited Hotchkiss and adopted it as the Schutzenpanzer Kurz 11-2 with a production that started under licence in Germany from 1956, with some 2,370 built total.

At the same time, the "white bureau" proposed a distinction of roles, taking back the specialization of the WW1 Sd.Kfz.250 and 251, leading to Hispano-Suiza, Hanomag, Henschel and Marc-Leyland to team up and produce the more refined Schützenpanzer Lang HS-30, widely seen in 1958 as the true forerunner of modern IFVs despite its many shortcomings. USSR answered in style with the legendary BMP-1, the start of a lineage that have cold shivers to NATO and triggered a multitude of responses. One of these was of course the development of a proper IFV in the 1960s, at first based on the M113, that would culminate with the M2 Bradley in 1980.

The experimental KMW Marder 2, cancelled.

Meanwile in France, UK and Germany, work on a modern tracked IFV went on as well. This led to the AMX-10P (1968) in France and the SPZ Marder (1968) while Britain was late to the party in 1984 with the Fv510 Warrior. 2,136 Schützpanzerwagen Marder were manufactured until 1971. A short span, but several upgrades were done over the decades to keep the vehicles relevant until well after the end of the cold war with models such as the Marder 1A6 (2023), following the 1A5 upgrade (2002).

The Marder was the perfect mount to replace the Spz 11-2 and HS-30s for the Panzergrenadier, with each vehicle carrying a fully equipped section of six fully equipped infantry, while supporting them and whatever arament the carried, by a 20mm autocannon and ATGMs. The last vehicles even had a rear-mounted RWS to leave no dead angles, plus extra sensors and survivability updates. As we speak, the process of upgrading the park to the 1A6 is still ongoing. By 1988 an attempt was made to replace the vehicle with the "Marder 2", but the project went nowhere and was cancelled in 1991 with the end of the cold war, in favor of more or less austere updates of the Marder.

The current standard Panzergrenadier doctrine according to official HDv 100/100 (2000 edition) is the following:

The Panzergrenadiere act as mechanized infantry, escort for tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles and works in co-operation with other armoured troops.

The Armoured military forces consist of the Panzertruppe and the Panzergrenadiertruppe. [...] Due to the mobility and protection offered by their armoured fighting vehicles, the Panzergrenadiertruppe is especially suited for swift changes between mounted and dismounted combat to maintain the momentum of armoured troops. [...] The direct and close cooperation of the Panzertruppe and the Panzergrenadiertruppe is, next to the cooperation with Combat support, mandatory to succeed. Their versatility and reactivity enables them to gain and maintain the initiative and bring about the decision.

According to HDv 231/100, a Panzergrenadier Battalion is characterized by the following aspects:

The combination of fire and movement,
Attacking in conjunction with main battle tanks,
Swift changes between mounted and dismounted combat,
Close cooperation between mounted and dismounted forces,
A particularly mobile combat, [...]

Note that Germany emulated the creation of a Swedish equivalent already in 1942, the pansarinfanteri (riding now the excellent CV90, the Swiss (with the CV90 local SPz2000) and Austrian Bundesheer with the Schützenpanzer "Ulan".

The 3rd generation Schutzenpanzer

33.5t SPz Puma Mobilitätsversuchfahrzeug-VS2 Treves prototype in 2010

In 2000, even though there was no pressing need, the search for a truly updated replacement for the Marder started anew. The Puma at first was a project codenamed at first "Igel" for hedgehog or "Panther" to keep the WW2 tradition of "big cats". It started at first as a follow-up project to the German 1996 "NGP" or "Neue Gepanzerte Plattformen" (New Armored Platforms). This commission role was to collect ideas for a common base vehicle usable as APC, IFV, air defense and reple or assist MBTs in frontline combat role. This is a classic standardization program also tried by other countries since the 1950s and still justied today with the rising cost of modern AFVs. The NGP project was terminated in 2001 and its conclusions were discussed by the Bundeswehr staff to be translated into specifications.

A selection of the best ideas and concept went into the new tactical concept that was the neuer Schützenpanzer ("new IFV") in 1998. It was planned already, without that frame, to replace the Marder by 2002. There was a limit into to useful upgrades until a platform designed in the late 1960s started to be too much of generations behind to be of any use. The German Army (Heer) placed an order for five pre-production vehicles as well as their own logistics and training services by late 2004. From 8 November 2007 there was a budget of €3 billion allocated to acquire 405 Pumas, excluding five, already delivered to the German Army for trials.

On 6 December 2010, the first two serial vehicles were received by the German Bundesamt für Wehrtechnik und Beschaffung for complete certification and generation of all documentation. The Puma completed cold weather tests that winter in Norway between November 2011 and February 2012 and by August 2013, two Pumas were airlifted to the United Arab Emirates for hot weather tests, which included firing and driving in the desert conditions, plus all the range of mobility evaluations. Temperatures inside were compared to outside at all times.

By 13 April 2015, the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment as well as the Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) granted authorization to use the Puma IFV and "train the trainers" with the first seven production vehicles as well as receiving more until the end of 2015. A new dedicated training center was setup for Panzer Grenadiers for helping the transition for all mechanized infantry companies under a three-month crash course. The Puma at last officially entered service on 24 June the same year, fifteen year after the program was initiated. It was typical of the procurement delays of the time, pre-2022 Ukraine invasion.

So far the total of 350 vehicles had been delivered by August 2021 out of the original 405, budget cuts retired indeed 55 vehicles. But this was reinforced by an extra 179 on option in 2023 instead of 229 as initially planned in 2022. Indeed, the Puma appeared plagues by reliability issues according to the then MoD Christine Lambrecht. So by May 2023, 50 Puma were conformed at €1.1 billion, to be delivered from late 2025 to early 2027. With the 2022 special dotation, it's likely the remaining 129 would be delivered FY2030, notabky to free more updated Marders for ukraine. This would make a total of 529 if carried out to the full.

Production and Upgrades

Due to the long procurement time, the Marders in service are quickly close to their useful cell life limit. It was shortly believed the acquisition of a foreign model, but in part to protect German industrial knowhow it was established that no other vehicle on offer matched the Puma specifications, so the acquisition was unanimously voted at the Bundestag. 350 Pumas were delivered, replacing the non-upgraded 40-year-old Marders, with a full operational readiness to be reached by 2024, amost ten years after its entry into service. There are still a mass of Marders remaining, but they are of the latest 1A5 and currently upgraded 1A6 brand in order to complement the Puma in case of war and continue fielding some units still in transition.

2023 Upgrades

In the wake of the Bundestag's moentous army budget vote of 100 billion euro military revamp in June 2022, the German Army in 2023 decided to vite for a €500 million plan to modernize 40 Pumas. One objective was to provide them with a more effective weaponry and communications tech. for better battlefield awareness and networking, as well as exploitation of GPS coordinates to and from fighter jets. It was cleared for operations in March 2021 after tactical evaluation and ported to the standard NATO VJTF in 2023, with provisions for hard and soft-kill systems against ATGMs or RPGs. There are plans also FY2030 for future active/reactive armor, likey all contracted into a single Puma A1 standard with new mounts and interfaces for extra ATGMs on the right side of the turret.

For future upgrades, the Puma has weight reserves and a compact cabin with mos vital in the front as well as the floor and side walls whatever the cabin-oriented modification might be. On 28 June 2021, BAAINBw Rheinmetall and KMW under the joint venture PSM contract worht 1.04 billion Euros for such global upgrade on 154 early batch Pumas. It is called the Puma S1 and comprises the following:

-Multirole Light Missile System (MELLS), locally-made Spike-LR
-Turret-independent secondary weapon system (RWS)
-New digital radios
-High-resolution day/night cameras for the driver and mounted squad
-Color-enabled optronics for the gunner and commander
-Infanterist der Zukunft Expanded System IdZ-ES
-Upgraded battle management system.

The contract is scheduled FY2029 with an option for 143 more and gradually porting tall but the 13 driver training vehicles to this new S1-standard as approved by December 2022. This was compounded by the March 2022 funding for 229 more Pumas ported straight away to the S1 standard. 18 Pumas took part in exercises in 2022 and experiences a lot of issues, being at the end, so much Major General von Butler (10th Armoured Division) talked of "total failure." So further purchases were paused and the manufacturer meanwhile argued the damage was due to the crew's "improper operation". So by May 2023, only 50 on 229 Pumas were confirmed, for a production start by late 2025.

Design

General Layout

The SPZ Puma is certainly larger than the Marder. Albeit it had the same crew, the vehicle is 31.4 t (69,225 lb) at level A and up to 43 t (94,799 lb) at level C load, compared to 37.4 t for the last Marder 1A5 and 28.5 t (31.4 short tons) for the Marder 1A1/A2. In fact the Puma is heavier than a Leopard 1 MBT of 1970. It is larger in dimensions as well with an overall lenght of 7.4 m (24 ft) (versus 6.79 m), much wider 3.7 m (12 ft) with base armour and 4 m (13 ft) up-armoured (versus 3.24 m) and way taller at 3.1 m (10 ft), even 3.6 m (12 ft) with the optics up, versus 2.98 m (9 ft 9 in) for the Marder.

This increase in dimensions is compensated by a much beefier power unit (see below) but integrates many innovations compared to the Marder:
-Ability to flexibly mount different armour.
-Compact, one-piece crew cabin for direct crew interaction enabling to replace the driver or gunner
-Air conditioned and NBC-proof cabin with internal nuclear and chemical sensors, fire suppressing system using non-toxic agents.
-Engine compartment fitted with its own independent fire extinguishing system.
-New driver station located in a protrusion in front of the gunner, forward of the turret.
-Unmanned, double-asymmetrical turret off-center, left-hand side (main cannon right side/middle hull axis).
-Very smooth outer hull to minimize shot traps or visual signature.
-Air transportable in the Airbus A400M
-Similar 3+6 persons crew as other IFVs, yet inferior to the 3+8 of the CV9030/CV9035.

Protection

Passive protection of the Puma

Apart the NBC and fire extinguishing systems described above, the Puma IFV was designed from the start to accommodate extra armor. The final design planned three protection classes combined or partly interchangeable.
Class A: Basic vehicle, at 31.5 metric tons of combat-ready weight. It is still air transportable by the A400M.
Class C: Two large side panels covering the whole flanks plus skirts over tracks, near-complete turret cover and roof plating. Side panels in composite and spaced armor. Total 9 metric tons. Class B: Degraded class C compatible with rail transport. Later cancelled.

The passive protection counts on AMAP composite armor wit the AMAP-B module tested for kinetic energy threats, and AMAP-SC against shaped charges. It was theorized that four A400M could fly three class A Pumas with the fourth carying the class C armor kits and lifting equipment to upgrade all three, and need a coupled of hours to mount it. The class A or basic Puma armor can withstand 14.5 mm Russian AP HMG shells, which is twice as powerful as the NATO cal.50 (12.7 mm) BMG cartridge. The well sloped frontal armor protects against medium caliber shells and shaped charge. Protection class C is basically up-armoring to the front armour level on class A. The turret roof armo could withstand artillery or mortar bomblets (but not kamikaze drones).

The chassis is protected against heavy blast mines, up to 10 kg under 450 mm ground clearance, a moderate "V-style" belly. Inside the cabin all equipments and the seats has no direct contact to the floor. Roof hatches are of the side-slide type, easier to open even of obstructed for emergency exit. The exhaust are vented to the left side after being mixed with forced in fresh air to reduce thermal signature. In addition there is an IR-suppressing paint, adding to this reduction of the thermal signature.

Reactive armour was decided for addition by December 2024 by the Bundestag, approving the constitution of a stockpile of reactive armour modules, with a contract signed with Dynamit Nobel Defence and the BAAINB. This agreement allows to order ERA modules flexibly dependong of the needs. Also signalled above, both the engine and crew compartments are equipped with an automatic fire suppression system and the crew compartment has a full NBC system with sealing of all hatches, external detectors, and overpressure helped by the air climatizer. The internal spall liner also as usual was designed to stop impact fragments. Also to better protect the crew, the main fuel tanks are located outside the vehicle, within the running gear carriers. There is also a collector tank acting as a reserve tank in case of a double tank breach.

Active protection of the Puma

Planned, but not installed yet, are a combined soft-kill system, "Multifunktionales Selbstschutz-System" (multifunction self protection system) or abbreviated MUSS, capable of defeating incoming ATGMs. The MUSS system comprises three main elements:
1-Ultraviolet sensors with a laser warner and missile warner, 2-computer, and 3- and electronic and pyrotechnic countermeasures system using fo example an infrared jamming device. The sensors detect an incoming missile or laser beam and the computer automatically activates the most appropriate countermeasures to the detected threat. MUSS offers 360° protection, and the tower like main sensory head elevated to 70° and can handle up to four threats at once from different angles. Depending of its configuration it can go from 65 to 160 kg.

Powerplant

The Puma like its predecessor is designed to interact with main battle tanks on the battlefield, but in reality the Marder was just not able to keep up with the latest Leopard II marks. The Puma thus receives a much beefier powerplant, first to compensate for its 1/3 more weight, and gap the difference in speed and keep up with the latest Leopard 1A7 standard. The core of the system, located forward under the nose, is a compact, lightweight MTU diesel MT 892 Ka-501 v10 11.1 liters rated for 1,088 hp (800 kW) nominal output. This translates on the 43 t class C to in fact a higher kW/ton ratio compared to the Leopard 2 MBT.

The prototypes are given a five-road wheel decoupled running gear, suspended by hydropneumatic "In Arm" style Horstmann suspension. The road wheels are asymmetrical in lenght as they are mounted closer to each other at the heavier front for better balance (engine+heavier armour). The Puma uses 500mm-wide steel tracks from Diehl Defence, said of lighter casting for easier replacement, single pin with a central spine and rubber-cladded. It is also grooved to better grip mud and snow. On production vehicles, six roadwheels, all symmetrical were arranged instead. By December 2023, 53 reserve engines were ordered plus spares for future maintenance. The MTU needs a full overhaul after 1,000 operating hours, 10,000 km or every ten years. It shares parts with the rest of the large MTU engine family, reducing maintenance cost.

Turret

MK 30-2/ABM 30 mm Autocannon

Mk.30 2-ABM autocannon exhibit

The primary armament of the turret is not different from the Marder or SPZ Lang all the back in 1960: A Rheinmetall autocannon, albeit there was an upgrade, from 20 mm to the 30 mm MK 30-2/ABM using Air Burst Munitions. Its rate of fire is "only" 200 rounds per minute versus 880-1030 rpm for the 20 mm, but it compensates for a effective range of 3,000 m (versus 1600-2500m) and the use of a beefier 30×173mm cartridge. It judged superior to the Bofors 40 mm gun rounds of the CV9040 for its smaller size and larger ammunition load. This is also true for a belt feed which is continuous, versus the 24 shots per magazine of the CV9040. This MK 30-2 autocannon can fire the following:
-Sub-calibre, fin-stabilised APFSDS-T for medium armoured vehicles. -Full-calibre multi-purpose Kinetic Energy-Timed Fuse (KETF) wuth a fuse setting for air burst capability, ejecting a cone of sub-munitions. Usable in shot-to-shot from an open bolt with no cartridge inserted until the trigger is depressed for example. Usable against infantry. Ammunition capacity is 400 rounds with 200 ready rounds in the dual feed and 200 in storage.

MELLS missile canister launcher

Not mounted on the initial serie but planned as upgrade as the ATGM of the MELLS system, a missile usable against tanks, helicopters, and infrastructure. This is the local acronmy related to the EuroSpike Spike LR missile launcher housing two missiles. The Spike LR from UK has a effective range up to 4,000 m, and is usabled both in "Fire and Forget" and "Fire and Observe" mode.

5.56 mm HK MG4 Machine gun

Albeit there were discussion to install a NATO M48 grenade launcher and/or the common NATO 0.5 caliber M2HB HMG, weight constraints imposed a smaller calibre as secondary armament, coaxially mounted. The 5.56 mm HK MG4 has a firing rats of 850 rounds per minute and effective range of 1,000 m. It fired tracer, among the 2000 rounds capacity to help the autocannon in degraded visual mode. 1,000 arounds are ready to fire, 1,000 in storage. A small caliver contrary to the standard NATO 7.62 mm it is nevertheless compatible with the crew's own personal weapons. The gun housing however can also host the 7.62 mm MG3 if needed, MG4, and soon the MG5 planned with the S1 variant.

Smoke projectors/Grenade Launchers

The Puma mounts two series of four dual purpose grenade launchers, vertically on a rotating axle. They uses standard smoke-grenade launchers with 8 shots, which can be replaced by anti-personnal grenades and it is completed by a multishot 40 mm launcher at the back for close-in defence. In addition there is the personal weaponry carried by the vehicle's own six infantry squad, plus the three crew if dismounted as well, making for nine G36 assault rifle, grenades, grenades, an extra MG3 machine gun, a Panzerfaust with 3 RPGs, and a MILAN (Spike now).

Observation & electronics

The Puma is improved in the field of situational awareness compared to the Marder, with a fully stabilized 360° periscope (PERI RTWL by Hensoldt) offering multimodes, with six different zoom stages for a direct glass optic link to either the commander or gunner. It is placed in the turret center, which displaced the main cannon off-center. It is equipped with a CCD camera to feed to the on-board computer network, displayed on all electronic displays and datalinked to other vehicles. The periscope also offers an optronic thermal vision mode, wide-angle camera, with three zoom stages for the driver and laser range finder for a hunter-killer capability. In case of failure, the commander also has five good old fashioned vision blocks.

The gunner has well protected optics behind a slide hatch mounted coaxially to the main gun. It has a thermal vision camera, laser range finder and an optronic day sight as well as a glass block with three vision blocks, image intensifier and display for optronic image. The passenger behind also has a hatch with three vision blocks at the rear right, one being rotary, and two electronic displays. This is rounded by five external cameras at the rear in swing-mounts. In the Puma, the passengers could give precious extra information via their through the vision blocks, hatches, and optronic feeds and all are connected by the onboard intercom. As for external communication, the Puma was commissioned with R&S SOVERON handheld (HR) and vehicle (VR) radios as part of Very High Joint Readiness Task Force 2023.

Operators

Germany

337 active (+50 TBD 2025 out of 229, 179 cancelled 2023) +upgrade for 143 Puma S1 as of 2023. In service from April 2015. Last upgrades TBD 2027.

Australia

The Australian Army looked after a tracked 'Mounted Close Combat Capability' as part of the Land 400 Phase 3 procurement program and it was selected. The Joint Venture behind the Puma IFV was announced not to compete in November 2018.

Canada

The Department of National Defence considered purchasing for its Leopard 2 CAN fleet an IFV and considered the CV90, Puma and VBCI, with a contract of 108, option for 30 more, but it was later cancelled.

Chile

Offered by the German Army to supplement the Leopard 2 as well as a license to FAMAE, but discussions never took place.

Croatia

In 2016, replacing its 128 M80A IFV led to a competition with final selection of the CV90 and the Puma. 108 to be ordered (88 IFV, 8 C&C, 8 ambutanks, 4 driving training) FY2021. Instead Croatia operated for 89 second hand M2A2 Bradley with the ODS variant for $145.3 million in 2020, signed in January 2022. TBD 2023-26.

Czech Republic

210 new IFV program to replac BMP-2s for €2 Bln between 2019 and 2024. Competition by June 2017: CV90(2), Lynx, ASCOD, Puma evaluated over 9 days. December 2018, Puma shortlisted but announced withdrawn by October 2019. The manufacturer precised Czech Army requirements to stringent for the existing Puma. CV9030 MkIV selected by July 2022, signed December 2022.

Hungary

The Hungarian Defence Forces needed 200 new IFV FY2020-2026 to replace its legacy BTR-80, but the Lynx was purchased in the end. Also German from Rheinmetall Landystem (2015), the Lynx KF41 is smaller and cheaper than the Puma.

United States

A vehicle program to replace both the M113 and M2 Bradleys with the BCT Ground Combat Vehicle Program looked at foreign design, with local modifications and production. The Puma initially satisfied the BCT technical requirements and SAIC and Boeing proposed its production. However its team was not awarded the contract by August 2011, filed a protest, denied in December 2011. On 2 April 2013, the Congressional Budget Office advised purchasing current infantry fighting vehicles instead of developing a new one, with the Puma saving $14.8 billion, still called the most capable vehicle. But the army stuck to a new national Bradley replacement. By February 2014, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel cancelled the GCV, with a concept proposed by BAE system, Northrop Grumman, QinetiQ and Saft Group.

SPZ Puma specifications
Dimensions	7.4 x 3.7/4 x 3.1m (24 x 12/13* x 10ft)
Weight battle ready	31.4 t (69,225 lb) level A, 43t (94,799 lb) level C
Propulsion	MTU MT 892 Ka-501 v10 11.1-l. 1,088 PS (800 kW)
Transmission	Renk HSWL 256
Suspension	Horstman hydrostruts
Speed (road)	70 km/h (43 mph) on road
Range	900 L, 600 km (373 mi) road
Armament	MK 30-2/ABM (400 rds) AC, HK MG4 LMG, see notes
Protection	AMAP modular composite armor
Crew	3+6
Total production	350 currently

Combat Development

Bundeswehr Panzergrenadier units
After the newest phase of the transformation process the German Army will be fielding the following active Panzergrenadier battalions:

Panzergrenadierbataillon 33, Neustadt am Rübenberge
Panzergrenadierlehrbataillon 92 (Demonstration battalion), Munster
Panzergrenadierbataillon 112, Regen
Panzergrenadierbataillon 122, Oberviechtach
Panzergrenadierbataillon 212, Augustdorf
Panzergrenadierbataillon 371, Marienberg
Panzergrenadierbataillon 391, Bad Salzungen
Panzergrenadierbataillon 401, Hagenow
Panzergrenadierbataillon 411, Viereck

Additionally, in 2008 two inactive Panzergrenadier Battalions were formed:
-Panzergrenadierbataillon 908, Viereck (with PzGBat 411 as supplying and maintaining unit)
-Panzergrenadierbataillon 909, Marienberg (with PzGBat 371 as supplying and maintaining unit)

Training and development of the Panzergrenadiertruppe is performed by the Armoured Corps Training Centre or "Ausbildungszentrum Panzertruppen" in Munster. The commander has the title of "General der Panzertruppen". Essential training courses notably for urban warfare and forested terrain, are held at the Ausbildungszentrum Infanterie or "Infantry Training Centre" at Hammelburg.

Bundeswehr Panzergrenadier equipment:
The main mount and full weapon system for the panzergrenadiers today is the Puma, entirely replacing the Schützenpanzer Marder 1, with a transition to be complete by late 2025. Panzergrenadiers are limited to a height of no more 1.84 meters to fit into the vehicle.

The infantry squad carries the G36 assault rifle as standard small arm, shared with the regular infantry for commonality of parts and training. Each Puma carries to the battle a dismounted fireteam of nine men (three are part of the vehicle's crew, plus six passengers) reinforced by a MG3 machine gun. To help the Puma dealing with hard targets there is also a Panzerfaust with 3 rocket-propelled grenade as well as the MILAN Anti-tank guided missile offering deported and/or remote anti-tank capabilities. The MILAN is more potent than the Panzerfaust, and needs wo men to operate, either fully dismounted, or mounted over the Puma's troop compartment's rood through a hatch.

The Panzergrenadier fireteams were already comprises six men, as modelled already on the Marder. Two men operates the turret for IFV's proper enhanced anti-armour capabilities, both at the short (autocannon) and long range (ATGM). The MILAN is gradually phased our for the new Spike-ATGM, both standard for mounted and dismounted use. The "Future Soldier" program ("German Infanterist der Zukunft") also targets the Panzergrenadier units, with some sub-systems already tested live in Afghanistan.