German budget committee approves purchase of 50 more Puma tanks

The German parliament's budget committee has approved the purchase of 50 more Puma infantry fighting vehicles for the armed forces, the Bundeswehr.
The politicians gave the green light on Wednesday for the armament programme, which will cost the federal government about €1.5 billion ($1.6 billion).
Politicians from the coalition government said the decision to place a second large order for the combat vehicles was important for the modernization of Germany's armed forces, even if problems with the infantry fighting vehicle still needed to be fixed.
"The procurement of the second batch of Pumas is associated with considerable financial risks. Also, the system has not been fully tested technically," said Sebastian Schäfer, a Green Party member of the budget committee. "Nevertheless, the order must be placed now in order to close equipment gaps in the Bundeswehr," he said.
The committee emphasized the need for the Ministry of Defence and the manufacturers to ensure the comprehensive functionality of the weapon system.
Karsten Klein from the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) explained that Germany's decision to send its Marder armoured vehicles to Ukraine made it necessary for the Bundeswehr to get 50 more Pumas. "However, it must not be forgotten that the Puma is still in need of urgent improvements," he said.
The procurement project was put on hold last year after all 18 Puma infantry fighting vehicles used in a firing exercise failed but was then put back on track after an internal investigation.
The state-of-the-art Puma replaces the older Marder infantry fighting vehicle, which has been modernized several times and is still in use in the Bundeswehr.
The Handelsblatt business newspaper reported on Wednesday that the Federal Court of Auditors had expressed reservations about the Puma order and had recommended waiting for the technical conversion to a modernized variant before any more were purchased.