Bundeswehr disaster: Puma before the complete end?

Lambrecht becomes clear in the ZDF interview

Created: 2022-12-20 08:56

By: Patrick Mayer, Franziska Schwarz

There is a need for talks between the Bundeswehr, the Ministry of Defense and the German armaments industry about the "Puma" infantry fighting vehicle.

Minister Lambrecht increases the pressure.

The news ticker.

• Lambrecht

  draws the first conclusions from

  the Puma disaster

  : Only 42 of 350 tanks fit for NATO plans?

• After a

  series of breakdowns

  at the

  "Puma"

  : Lambrecht is suspending additional purchases of armored personnel carrier models for the time being

• Bundeswehr

  armored

  personnel carrier

  fails: crisis meeting in Berlin with Lambrecht

• This

  news ticker

  about the series of

  breakdowns at the "Puma"

  is continuously updated.

Update from December 19, 10:45 p.m

.: Christine Lambrecht (SPD) increased the pressure on the German defense industry significantly after the Puma disaster became known.

The two armaments companies Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH developed and produce the infantry fighting vehicle for the German armed forces.

According to ZDF, of the 350 copies already delivered, only about 150 are currently operational.

This would not be enough for Germany to meet its alliance obligations in the transatlantic defense alliance NATO in the coming year.

The Federal Minister of Defense did not rule out a complete end of the Puma in the German Bundeswehr.

"Puma" infantry fighting vehicle: Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht puts pressure on the armaments industry

“I now expect that those Pumas that have been found to be faulty will be repaired by the industry as soon as possible.

This is the first step.

But that doesn't help us in the long term, I expect a perspective on how we can reliably count on these Pumas," said Lambrecht in the "heute journal": "How to reliably fix these errors.

We can't always go from one repair to the next, we need reliable solutions or the decision not to rely on the Puma any longer."

Not operational?

The infantry fighting vehicle "Puma" of the German Bundeswehr, here during an exercise.

© IMAGO / Sven Eckelkamp

It was worth the effort again to consult with the industry as to whether there could be any kind of reliability again, she said on ZDF.

Lambrecht makes it clear: "But that has to happen very quickly, because we have obligations that we want to keep within NATO.

That's why the current demand on the industry is: First, the repair of these Pumas that have just broken down.

And beyond that, to present us with a concept.

That has to happen very quickly.

And if it doesn't work, if it's not possible, then other decisions have to be made."

The repairs shouldn't take any more months, Lambrecht declared resolutely: "I don't expect confirmations within many weeks, but within a few.

I expect that we can agree on a solution within a few weeks.

Otherwise I cannot take responsibility.

Otherwise we would have to invest in a retrofit.

We will not sign these contracts.

There will not be a second lot, i.e. further orders.

Speed ​​is required, the industry has a duty.

We will walk this path together or break it off if we have to.”

The technical data of the armored personnel carrier "Puma".

© dpa graphic

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How much does the Puma infantry fighting vehicle cost?

Unit price is probably 17 million euros

Update from December 19, 4:41 p.m

.: How much does the criticized Puma infantry fighting vehicle cost?

The unit price is 17 million euros.

The model should actually replace the Marder that was introduced in 1971.

But the weapon system, which has been in development since 2002, got off to a bad start: in 2013, then Federal Defense Minister Thomas de Maizière (CDU) declared that the Bundeswehr could not put the Puma into service.

The first examples were handed over to the army in 2015, although these were not considered fully operational either.

Lambrecht draws the first conclusions from the Puma disaster: Only 42 of 350 tanks fit for NATO plans?

Update from December 19, 3:42 p.m

.: According to a spokesman for the Ministry of Defense, the Bundeswehr has a total of 350 Puma vehicles.

However, only 42 of them are configured for the requirements of the VJTF, NATO's fastest intervention force.

For this reason, Marder-type armored personnel carriers are now being used.

This was also planned from the beginning as a "fallback solution".

Specialist politicians in the traffic light coalition were alarmed.

The Greens' defense politician Niklas Wagner and his household colleague Sebastian Schäfer called for "precise reports on the causes and prospects for the Puma".

The FDP defense expert Alexander Müller explained that when the Puma configured for NATO tasks "records such blatant failures, the alarm bells ring for us".

Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) explained: "I have commissioned an analysis by the BMVg and the Bundeswehr, Heeresinstandsetzungslogistik GmbH and industry by the end of next week."

Puma infantry fighting vehicle problems: CDU politician Kiesewetter warns of "sham arguments"

Update from December 19, 2:09 p.m

.: The Puma breakdown series should not prevent the federal government from delivering tanks to Kiev, says Roderich Kiesewetter.

The "apparent" problems with the infantry fighting vehicle should not lead to "a new reason being constructed why the martens cannot be delivered to Ukraine," said the CDU politician to the

.

"We are already familiar with this procedure of constantly constructing new bogus arguments from the Chancellery."

Ukraine has long been asking its allies for Western-style battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles.

According to Ukrainian information, talks are currently underway with the federal government about the delivery of German makes of the Leopard 2 and Marder types.

Photo from February 7th: Christine Lambrecht has a Puma infantry fighting vehicle explained to her during her visit to Panzerlehrbrigade 9.

© Philipp Schulze/dpa

After Puma crisis meeting: Lambrecht visits German troops in Slovakia

Update from December 19, 1:53 p.m

.: A visit shortly after the Puma tank crisis meeting and overshadowed by the series of breakdowns in the Bundeswehr infantry fighting vehicle: Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) has now arrived in Slovakia for a two-day visit.

In the afternoon, Lambrecht first had a conversation with her colleague Jaroslav Nad in Bratislava.

In the evening, the SPD politician visits the NATO air defense contingent, which was relocated after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, at the Sliac military airport.

Germany is involved in it with two Patriot squadrons, and 250 German soldiers are stationed on site.

Slovakia shares a nearly 100-kilometer border with Ukraine.

After a series of Puma breakdowns: Lambrecht is suspending the purchase of infantry fighting vehicles for the time being

Update from December 19, 1:04 p.m

.: Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht is initially suspending the purchase of further Puma armored personnel carriers for the Bundeswehr.

Lambrecht has now been informed by the Ministry of Defense that there will be no second lot until the vehicle proves to be stable.

Breakdown in the Puma infantry fighting vehicle: the federal government is now relying on the marten

Update from December 19, 12:12 p.m

.: Because of the Puma breakdown series, the Bundeswehr will now participate in the NATO intervention force VJTF with the “Marder”.

The combat vehicle was introduced decades ago.

A Defense Ministry spokesman said in Berlin that the failure of the Pumas in the most recent exercise was "a major setback".

In the morning, Defense Minister Lambrecht was informed by Inspector General Eberhard Zorn, State Secretary for Armaments Benedikt Zimmer and other officers, the spokesman said.

There will be further talks with the industry on Monday.

"With a view to the VJTF obligations, we will fulfill them as planned from January 1, but then with the Marder infantry fighting vehicle," he said.

Malfunction in the Bundeswehr infantry fighting vehicle Puma: "Very questionable"

Update from December 19, 10:53 a.m

.: The Greens party leader Ricarda Land demands that the problems with the "panic tank" Puma be clarified and "above all solved".

The special fund must help with the obvious "operational problems of the Bundeswehr" - but a reform of the procurement system is also needed.

Her co-party leader Omid Nouripour also alluded to German deficits on NATO's eastern flank and the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine: It was "very worrying" that the Pumas were now failing in rows.

He does not know whether new Pumas will be purchased or not, but under no circumstances should there be a capability gap, Nouripour said.

Left parliamentary group leader Dietmar Bartsch called on the federal government to examine claims for recourse against the manufacturers.

"Scrap for six billion euros is embarrassing for Germany", the Puma is a "billion grave for the taxpayer", criticized Bartsch now.

He also emphasized: “In 2017, only 27 of 71 brand-new Pumas were operational.

Nevertheless, the costs have doubled as a result.” In view of the “Puma” breakdown, Bartsch called on Lambrecht to create complete public transparency about the operational readiness and cost development of all major military equipment.

Bundeswehr armored personnel carrier Puma falls out: crisis meeting in Berlin with Lambrecht

First report from December 19

: Berlin – Christine Lambrecht was already reaping malice in some annual reviews of 2022.

The focus was sometimes heavily on manicures and heels.

A potentially factual point of criticism was not included, simply because it only appeared on the agenda in mid-December: the breakdown series with the Bundeswehr infantry fighting vehicle "Puma".

A "total failure", according to the judgment of the fourth weekend in Advent.

This Monday (December 19), the SPD Defense Minister and representatives of the Bundeswehr and the armaments industry want to discuss how to proceed.

German "breakdown tank" Puma: Lieutenant General Mais optimistic

The Puma infantry fighting vehicle failed completely during Bundeswehr exercises for participation in the new NATO intervention force "Very High Readiness Joint Task Force" (VJTF).

The combat vehicle developed and produced by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH had previously made headlines as a "breakdown tank".

The inspector of the army, Lieutenant General Alfons Mais, officially announced on Sunday (December 18) that the Puma "had proven to date to be increasingly reliable in terms of operational readiness".

At the moment there is an extensive inventory.

"Puma" breakdown: CDU General Secretary Czaja calls for Chancellor Scholz

CDU General Secretary Mario Czaja has now asked Olaf Scholz to act: "The Chancellor must take care of the matter," he said in the Monday edition of "Frühstart" on RTL / ntv.

The problems with the Puma are "uncomfortable and embarrassing" and need to be dealt with quickly, preferably this week.

Traffic light coalition: The Scholz cabinet at a glance

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Union parliamentary group manager Thorsten Frei now sees damage to trust in NATO after the incident.

Against the background of the Ukraine war, it is important that the alliance partners can rely on the German weapon systems, the CDU politician said in an interview with SWR-Aktuell on Monday.

Network reactions to "Puma" series of breakdowns: "Call with Adidas"

Lambrecht is now sure of malice: "Right this morning she wants to call Adidas about an alternative to Puma," tweeted a German user.

From a higher level: "Perhaps one or the other in the ministry hasn't heard the boom yet," said FDP defense politician - and partner in the traffic light coalition - Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann to SWR on Sunday.

"This is a highly technical tank that we need now":

The establishment of the VJTF Rapid Reaction Force goes back to resolutions made at the NATO summit in Wales in September 2014.

The force is part of an action plan in response to the Ukraine conflict that has been smoldering since 2014.

"We are the spearhead of NATO from January 1, 2023," warned Strack-Zimmermann on SWR.