Germany targets European defense leadership with most modern Puma IFV fleet and layered air defense.

Politico reports that a confidential planning document envisions the Bundeswehr buying 687 additional Puma infantry fighting vehicles by 2035, pending Bundestag budget approval, taking the fleet to roughly 1,087 vehicles and enabling about seventeen mechanized infantry battalions. The move would anchor a wider capability roadmap focused on domestic industry, with layered air defense and heavy brigades that include the Lithuania-based 45th Armored Brigade.

Germany is preparing a significant expansion of its Puma fleet, according to Politico’s review of a confidential planning paper, with 662 new combat vehicles plus 25 driver-training variants proposed through 2035, at an estimated cost near €14 billion based on prior framework pricing. If lawmakers approve, the army would field about 1,087 Pumas, enough to standardize mechanized infantry battalions across multiple heavy brigades and sustain a meaningful operational reserve. The plan dovetails with Berlin’s broader rearmament program and with the permanent 45th Armored Brigade in Lithuania, which is slated to reach full operational capability in 2027.
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The Puma infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) now appears in the S1 standard with upgraded optronics and digitization (Picture source: Bundeswehr)

At the center is the Puma, an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV). Its main armament is the Rheinmetall MK30-2/ABM 30×173 mm cannon with dual feed and programmable air-burst ammunition, stabilized, with a practical range of about 3,000 m against ground targets and slow, low-flying aircraft. The hull carries a crew of three plus six dismounts and, in German configuration, integrates the Spike LR anti-tank missile system (MELLS), the national designation providing beyond-line-of-sight anti-armor capability. Mobility comes from an MTU 892-series diesel of roughly 800 kW / 1,088 hp, maintaining a favorable power-to-weight ratio even at higher protection levels, for a top speed near 70 km/h and a range of about 650 km. The crew station includes two optronic displays, a reversing camera, and four rear cameras for situational awareness, plus a nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) protection system to support crew endurance.

The Puma infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) now appears in the S1 standard with upgraded optronics and digitization. Firepower rests on the MK30-2/ABM: the combination of programmable KETF rounds and APFSDS-T in the dual feed enables engagements against troops under cover, light armor, and drones within the near envelope without changing belts. The remote turret mounts a coaxial MG4 and eight smoke launchers for screening, while two side launchers fire MELLS with a typical range of 4 to 5.5 km depending on conditions. Protection is layered, combining passive modules and add-on kits at Protection Level C, which approaches 43 t, while preserving rail transport through articulated side skirts. In the lighter Level A configuration at about 31.45 t, the vehicle can be prepared for A400M carriage after removing flank modules. A MUSS soft-kill active protection system (APS) completes survivability by disrupting guided missile lock-on.

A Puma IFV battalion paired with Leopard 2 main battle tanks (MBT) forms coherent heavy brigades able to maneuver under emissions control (EMCON), using stabilized thermal sights and networked command and control (C2) to maintain a common operational picture (COP) while managing signatures. The 30 mm air-burst layer provides initial short-range counter-UAS against quadcopters and loitering munitions, while MELLS extends anti-armor engagements to several kilometers and complicates adversary approach routes. On the move, hydropneumatic suspension and high specific power sustain tempo and reduce crew fatigue, useful for dispersed tactics alternating short bounds and covered positions. In combined arms teams, Puma carries six dismounts per vehicle, a lower capacity than some peers but offset by survivability measures and fire-control quality, yielding effects at contact while preserving the section for close combat.

Structurally, Politico’s figures indicate a heavy force equivalent to eight to nine brigades if two mechanized infantry battalions are allotted per armored or mechanized brigade, including reserve. This aligns with the decision to station the 45th Armored Brigade in Lithuania under the 10th Armored Division, expected to reach full operational capability by 2027. In the capability set described by Politico, the Puma fleet is paired with other lines: 561 Skyranger 30 turrets for close-in protection and counter-drone roles, 14 IRIS-T SLM systems with 396 SLM missiles and 300 short-range IRIS-T missiles, and an expansion of unmanned air systems, munition stocks for Heron TP, a dozen LUNA NG, and four naval UMAWS drones, including spares, training, and sustainment.

A large Puma fleet supports standardization in training, support, and simulators, reduces supply discontinuities, and provides a common baseline for cross-attachment and interoperability within NATO corps. The projection of seventeen battalions also implies a reserve able to offset losses, regenerate, and sustain readiness cycles without drawing down frontline units.

The Skyranger 30 and IRIS-T SLM combination closes the gap between very short and medium ranges, addressing drone swarms, loitering munitions, and cruise missiles targeting heavy brigades, depots, and C2 nodes (Picture source: Bundeswehr)

For reference, the Skyranger 30 turret is a short-range air defense (SHORAD) system mounting a remote gun-missile turret with 360° AESA 3D radar, a FIRST fast infrared scanner, stabilized electro-optical sensors, and the Skymaster command and control (C2) suite. The Oerlikon Revolver Cannon KCE in 30×173 mm fires programmable air-burst (ABM) rounds at 1,200 rds/min with an effective gun range of about 3 km; 252 rounds are ready to fire, plus a 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun, and two optional SHORAD missiles extend engagements to about 6 km. Protection is up to STANAG 4569 Level 4, and integration on 4×4 to 8×8 carriers is straightforward.

The IRIS-T SLM is a medium-range ground-based air defense (GBAD MR) system by Diehl Defence providing a 360° bubble against aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles, and unmanned aerial systems (UAS), with simultaneous engagements and short reaction times. A battery fields MAN 8×8 launchers (eight ready-to-fire missiles), a HENSOLDT TRML-4D multifunction radar (detection up to about 120 km), and an Airbus IBMS-FS (Integrated Battle Management Software) tactical operations post. The IRIS-T SLM missile combines radio guidance with inertial-satellite correction and a terminal imaging infrared (IIR) seeker; range is up to about 40 km with a ceiling near 20 km.

The Skyranger 30 and IRIS-T SLM combination closes the gap between very short and medium ranges, addressing drone swarms, loitering munitions, and cruise missiles targeting heavy brigades, depots, and C2 nodes. It forms a mobile, interoperable layered defense able to keep pace with mechanized units, protect Puma formations and critical sites, and maintain a COP under EMCON, a condition for survivability in environments saturated with low-signature aerodynamic and ballistic threats.

Germany’s defense industrial and technological base benefits directly from the financial framework. According to Politico, domestic firms account for about 160 identified lines totaling roughly €182 billion, with Rheinmetall the largest beneficiary at 53 lines exceeding €88 billion (about €32 billion directly and €56 billion via subsidiaries and joint ventures, including with KNDS on Puma and Boxer). Diehl Defence emerges as a second pillar with around €17.3 billion focused on the IRIS-T family, expected to structure the future ground-based air defense architecture. In parallel, space spending exceeds €14 billion: geostationary satellites, modernized ground stations, and a €9.5 billion LEO constellation for resilient, jam-resistant connectivity, aligning with the minister’s €35 billion “space security” effort. Aligning common components with medium forces remains relevant: the RCT30 remote turret derived from Puma has been studied for 8×8 platforms, reducing training cost and compressing the logistics footprint between heavy and medium brigades.

The balance between domestic anchoring and critical dependencies becomes clearer. Politico notes roughly 25 foreign-linked projects totaling about €14 billion (under 5 percent of the envelope) that nevertheless cover core strategic effects: a potential top-up of 15 F-35s for nuclear-sharing duties, the purchase of 400 Tomahawk Block Vb and three Typhon launchers providing a strike reach of about 2,000 km, and four interim P-8A Poseidon aircraft at €1.8 billion for maritime patrol. These lines, under Foreign Military Sales procedures, tie key capabilities to U.S. sustainment and approvals, while the core land inventory—Puma, Boxer, munitions, and sensors—remains largely domestic. For the alliance, Germany fielding several ready brigades, a modernized ground-based air defense layer, and deep-strike effects supports collective posture on the northeastern flank, but also requires disciplined execution: MK30-2 barrel supply, MELLS reloads, armor kits, and IRIS-T stocks must keep pace with attrition to avoid vulnerabilities an adversary could exploit.

Strategically, Germany acts as NATO’s forward logistics belt facing a Russia combining deep-fires, electronic warfare, and cost-effective drone saturation; the mix of loitering munitions and FPV drones seen in Ukraine, coupled with cruise and ballistic missile strikes from anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) bubbles around Kaliningrad, would pressure rail hubs, ammunition depots, North Sea ports, and German C2 nodes. The targeted capabilities address this threat: Skyranger 30 covers the very-short-range layer against swarms and low-signature vectors, IRIS-T SLM fills the medium layer against cruise missiles and aircraft, while heavy brigades built around Puma, maneuvering under emissions control and linked to a common operational picture, protect critical logistics axes and shape counter-mobility on the North German Plain. The result is a mobile, regenerable layered defense aligned with NATO regional plans and scenarios in which cyber, jamming, and standoff strikes aim to slow operational tempo before ground contact.

Written By Erwan Halna du Fretay - Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group

Erwan Halna du Fretay is a graduate of a Master’s degree in International Relations and has experience in the study of conflicts and global arms transfers. His research interests lie in security and strategic studies, particularly the dynamics of the defense industry, the evolution of military technologies, and the strategic transformation of armed forces.