By Rachel Extra
BERLIN -Germany won't buy any extra Puma infantry tanks till they've confirmed themselves to be dependable, Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht stated on Monday after a number of of the automobiles had been put out of service throughout a latest navy drill.
“The latest failures of the Puma infantry combating car are a significant setback,” Lambrecht stated in an announcement, including that she had requested a report on the matter by the top of subsequent week.
Shares in Rheinmetall, which manufactures the tanks along with Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW), had been down 7% after the minister’s announcement.
“Our troops should be capable to depend on weapon methods being sturdy and steady even in fight,” Lambrecht stated, whereas assuring NATO allies that they may proceed to depend on Berlin to meet its readiness obligations as a part of a joint job power (VJTF) from 2023.
An announcement from the German defence ministry stated the objective was to make the Puma tanks operational as quickly as attainable. In the meantime, the German Bundeswehr navy would use Marder tanks, the predecessor mannequin to the Puma, from Jan. 1, in what a ministry spokesperson known as a “fall-back resolution”.
Neither Rheinmetall nor KMW would touch upon the problems with the Puma mannequin.
The Spiegel journal reported over the weekend that 18 Puma tanks meant for NATO‘s very excessive readiness joint job power subsequent yr weren't operational after issues arose throughout a firing train.
Germany has vowed to spice up defence spending and modernise its navy within the wake of the Ukraine conflict, with Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s authorities making 100 billion euros ($106.10 billion) obtainable for defence investments on this yr’s price range.
($1 = 0.9425 euros)
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