Puma (Italian armoured fighting vehicle)

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Not to be confused with Puma (German IFV).
Puma
Puma 6×6 with a MG 42/59 machine gun mount
TypeArmoured personnel carrier / scout car
Place of originItaly
Service history
In service2001–present
Used byOperators
Production history
Designed1988
ManufacturerIveco-Oto Melara
Produced2001–2004
No. built250 6×6 and 330 4×4
Specifications
Mass8.2/7 t
Length5.07/4.76 m
Width2.09 m
Height1.67 m
Crew2+4/2+2 passengers
Main
armament
7.62mm, 12.7mm MG or Remote Weapon System
Secondary
armament
Smoke-grenade launchers
EngineIVECO 4-cylinder turbo-charged diesel
160 hp (118 kW)
Power/weight22.8 (4×4) hp/tonne
Transmission5-speed automatic 6×6/4×4
Operational
range
700 km (435 mi)
Maximum speed110 km/h

The Puma is an Italian light wheeled armoured fighting vehicle family, consisting of the Puma 6×6 and the Puma 4×4. The vehicles were developed and are produced by the Consorzio Iveco Fiat – Oto Melara for the Italian Army. First prototypes completed in 1988, with a total of five testbed vehicles being completed by 1990.

The 4x4 variant carries 3 troop members plus the driver, the 6×6 variant carries 6 troops plus driver.[1]

History

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Italian Army Puma 4×4

At first the Puma was intended to complement the B1 Centauro wheeled tank destroyer in service with the Italian Army's Cavalry Regiments, but ultimately most light infantry regiments of the Italian Army also received Pumas. At the end of 1999, the Italian Army ordered 610 Puma vehicles, 360 of the 6×6 configuration, and 250 4×4 vehicles. First vehicles were completed in mid-2003.[2]

The 4×4 variant carries two soldiers in addition to the driver and gunner, and is used in pairs for battlefield reconnaissance. The 6X6 version carries four soldiers plus driver and gunner, and together with another Puma 6×6 can carry an Italian infantry squad of eight men. In 2007 the Italian Army ordered 19 Hitrole 12.7mm machine gun remote controlled turrets from Oto Melara and is planning to add extra armor to the vehicle.

In March 2013, Italy donated 20 of its Puma 4×4 vehicles to the Libyan National Army to face terrorism threats and reaffirm friendly ties with the former colony.[3]

In April 2024, a destroyed Puma was seen in drone footage near Bilohorivka, Luhansk Oblast, suggesting the vehicle was in service with the Armed Forces of Ukraine, although no record of their deliveries was made.[4]

Operators

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Map of Puma AFV operators in blue


See also

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References

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  1. ^ "PUMA 4x4 - 6x6 Armoured fighting vehicle" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-09-07. Retrieved 2012-02-18.
  2. ^ a b "Seduta n. 19 di Mercoledì 7 maggio 2014". Italian Parliament. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
  3. ^ Libya has received 20 Italian-made Puma wheeled armoured vehicles Archived 2018-09-14 at the Wayback Machine – Armyrecognition.com, March 3, 2013
  4. ^ "Bilohorivka - 2:04 Destroyed Italian Puma 6x6 IFV". Archived from the original on 2024-04-29.
  5. ^ Argentina firma un acuerdo de Cooperación Industrial en Defensa con Italia
  6. ^ International Institute for Strategic Studies (2021). The Military Balance. Taylor & Francis. p. 462. ISBN 9781032012278.
  7. ^ Libya takes delivery of 69 Puma, Nimr Armoured Vehicles
  8. ^ "Italian Puma 6×6 Armored Vehicles Spotted in Ukraine: What We Know So Far". UNITED24 Media. 2025-04-16. Retrieved 2025-10-09.
  9. ^ Vandenbosch. "Ukrainian Armed Forces Receive Italian Puma APCs". www.armyrecognition.com. Retrieved 2025-10-09.
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