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Rheinmetall
Puma
Germany's current-generation infantry fighting vehicle, jointly developed by Rheinmetall and KNDS Deutschland to replace the Marder. It combines a 30 mm autocannon, modular armor packages and full air-transportability in an A400M.
In service since 2015 · 1 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
70
km/h
400
km range
27.3
hp/t
30
mm gun
43,000
kg
💲 ≈ $10,000,000, Approximate program unit cost
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
German export-licensed
BAFA licensing with strict end-use review; approvals can be politically constrained.
Channel: Direct commercial / G2G
Fielded & proven
Limited · 1 operator
In service since 2015. Status: active · ~350 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
$25M – $35M
Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost, operating & support dominate over ~30 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price. How we estimate this →
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
| Max speed Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance. | 70 km/h |
|---|---|
| Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence. | 400 km |
| Power-to-weight Engine power per tonne of vehicle weight. Higher means better acceleration and cross-country mobility. | 27.3 hp/t |
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
| Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type. | 30 mm MK 30-2/ABM autocannon |
|---|---|
| Secondary armament Additional weapons: coaxial MG, remote weapon station, gun pods. | 5.56 mm MG4 coaxial machine gun; Spike-LR ATGM (optional) |
| Caliber Bore diameter of the main gun or rifle. Larger throws heavier projectiles; not simply better, ammunition commonality matters. | 30 mm |
| Ammunition Rounds carried (main gun) or standard magazine capacity. | 200 |
Protection
Armor, countermeasures and survivability.
| Armor Armor technology: composite, modular, ERA-fitted, uranium-ceramic. Exact compositions are classified. | Modular steel/composite with add-on ceramic package |
|---|---|
| Active protection Hard-kill APS (Trophy, Arena, Afganit) intercepts incoming projectiles before impact. | MUSS soft-kill countermeasure system |
| Reactive armor Explosive reactive armor (ERA) blocks that disrupt shaped-charge jets. | No |
| NBC protection Sealed crew compartment with overpressure filtration for nuclear/biological/chemical environments. | Yes |
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
| Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable. | 7.4 m |
|---|---|
| Width Overall width, matters for rail/road transport of vehicles. | 3.71 m |
| Height Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles. | 3.1 m |
| Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor. | 43,000 kg |
| Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity. | 3 |
| Troop capacity Number of embarked troops/passengers (IFV, APC, transport). Higher carries more. | 6 |
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
| Engine Powerplant model and type. | MTU V10 892 diesel |
|---|---|
| Engine power Engine output power. Higher moves more weight faster. | 1,088 hp |
| Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet… | Diesel |
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
| Sensors IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights. | independent commander's panoramic sight, gunner's primary sight |
|---|---|
| Thermal imaging Thermal sights for night and obscured-visibility operations. | Yes |
Munition
Round type, penetration, velocity and projectile data.
| Caliber Bore diameter the round is fired from. | 30 mm |
|---|
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
| Unit cost Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper. | $10,000,000 |
|---|---|
| Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability. | 350 |
| Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem. | 1 |
Specifications compiled from public Rheinmetall and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
Head-to-head comparisons
Puma vs
Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the Rheinmetall Puma? +
The Rheinmetall Puma has a maximum speed of 70 km/h.
What is the range of the Rheinmetall Puma? +
The Rheinmetall Puma has a maximum range of 400 km.
How much does the Rheinmetall Puma weigh? +
The Rheinmetall Puma has a combat weight of 43,000 kg.
How many crew does the Rheinmetall Puma require? +
The Rheinmetall Puma requires a crew of 3.
What is the main armament of the Rheinmetall Puma? +
The Rheinmetall Puma's primary weapon is the 30 mm MK 30-2/ABM autocannon.
What engine does the Rheinmetall Puma use? +
The Rheinmetall Puma is powered by the MTU V10 892 diesel.
What is the Rheinmetall Puma used for? +
The Rheinmetall Puma is a ifv / apc typically used for infantry combat, anti armor.
How many countries operate the Rheinmetall Puma? +
The Rheinmetall Puma is operated by 1 countries.
How much does the Rheinmetall Puma cost? +
The Rheinmetall Puma has an approximate unit cost of 10,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration, treat this as directional.
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