Rheinmetall Wins €470M To Equip NATO Taskforce with 41 Puma IFVs, Related Equipment

Rheinmetall has won a €470 Million ($527 million) contract to equip NATO’s spearhead Very High Joint Readiness Task Force 2023 (VJTF 2023) with 41 Puma Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs) and other related equipment.

The contract was awarded to ARGE Puma, a consortium of Rheinmetall and PSM Projekt System Management on 11 July, 2019. The company’s share comes to over €470 million, the company announced Monday.

Work has already begun and is set to continue through to the end of the VJTF readiness phase in 2024.

The agreement includes Rheinmetall’s supply of additional measures for improving communication between the IFVs and dismounted infantrymen worth €258 million ($290 million). The systems will be delivered at the end of2020 or in the beginning of 2021.

The package also encompasses complete logistic support of the VJTF Pumas for a period of five years, i.e. spare parts, special tools and spare parts logistics.

Also included is a new generation of digital radios for the IFVs, integration of the MELLS multi-role light guided missile system, new daylight & thermal imaging cameras, colour display feature and new resources to train units.

Closely linked to the hardware of the new optronic systems and monitors for the IFVs is the contract for development of the “Vision Enhancement, Chassis” for €67.2 million ($75.4 million).

Rheinmetall is equipping the mechanized infantry companies of the VJTF 2023 with “TacNet” battle management system (BMS). In addition, an initial lot of ten platoon versions of the “Future Soldier – Expanded System” soldier system will be brought up to modern VJTF 2023 standard. Improved communication between the Puma crew and the dismounted infantry section will result in a continuously updated, uniform common operational picture. This modernisation is worth €146.5 million ($164.3 million).

During development of the new vision systems and their integration into the Puma, an initial lot of five sets of prototype assemblies will be fabricated and integrated into five standard vehicles. These tasks are expected to be completed by 2021.