The sum allocated for the manufacture of German Puma mechanised infantry vehicles has exceeded the target amount by 2.9 bln euro, according to the German television channel N-TV. Preliminary estimates indicate that the final total of vehicle development has almost doubled.
The German Defence Ministry explained that the price hike of the project was agreed upon in the contract, adding that the rising costs were also prompted by additional requirements for the hardware.
The German Army was originally slated to procure 410 units of equipment to replace the outdated Marder vehicles. However, the order was slashed to 350 units amid the increase of the cost of a single unit up to 7 million euro. The full delivery is expected to be completed by 2020.