The budget committee of the German parliament gave the green light yesterday to the purchase of this equipment, which will cost the federal state 1.5 billion euros.
The German parliament’s budget committee has approved the purchase of another fifty Puma-type armored fighting vehicles (APVs) for the federal armed forces, the Bundeswehr.
Yesterday, Wednesday, the committee gave the green light to the purchase of this equipment, which will cost the federal state 1.5 billion euros.
Officials of the coalition government said that the decision to place a second large order for TOMAs of the type is part of the modernization of the German army’s hardware, but pointed out that the type’s problems must be fixed.
“Procuring the second batch of Pumas comes with significant financial risks. Also, the system is not fully tested from a technical point of view,” noted Sebastian Schäfer, a member of the Greens’ budget committee. “However, the order must be placed now in order to cover the gaps in the Bundeswehr’s equipment,” he added.
The committee emphasized the need for the Ministry of Defense and the manufacturer [σ.σ. η KMW] to guarantee the full functionality of the weapon system.
Carsten Klein of the Free Democrats (FDP) business philanthropist explained that Berlin’s decision to send some of the German military’s Marder-type TOMAs to Ukraine necessitated the purchase of the 50 newest. “However, it should not be forgotten that the Pumas are still in urgent need of improvement,” he added.
The planned procurement was put on hold last year due to an exercise in which all eighteen armored fighting tanks participating in firing exercises experienced technical failures without exception, but it was later decided to go ahead, following an internal investigation.
The technologically advanced Pumas replace the older Marder type, which went through various modernization phases and is still in service with the Bundeswehr.
According to the financial newspaper Handelsblatt, the German Court of Auditors expressed strong reservations about the procurement and had recommended that the federal state wait for an improved version of the TOMAs of this type to be ready before proceeding with a new order.
Source :Skai
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