IVECO Puma

History

Iveco has been designing, developing and manufacturing military vehicles since its establishment in Turin, Italy in 1975. When the Italian Army needed a new multi-role armored utility vehicle to keep pace with the modern battlefield using its 8x8 wheeled "Centaur" tank killer (detailed elsewhere on this site), the company set out to adopt a new driving design.

The first pilot vehicle was completed in 1988, and the fleet grew to five by the end of 1990. From there, the Italian Army commissioned six "special mission" vehicles (mortars, anti-tank missile platforms, etc.).

For further evaluation, finally, in 1999, Iveco placed a long-awaited order for a total of 540 Puma - they would come in 240 4x4 wheel shapes and 300 6x6 wheel shapes.

The Cougar has been in service since 2001 and is manufactured under the Iveco-OTO-Melara brand. Production From 2001 to 2004, the operator expanded to Argentina, Djibouti and Libya.

The vehicle weighs 8 tons, has a total length of 5 meters, a width of 2 meters and a height of 1.67 meters. The operator consists of two people and can accommodate four passengers. Weaponry is versatile, with a full set of pivot-mounted 7.62mm and 12.7mm machine guns, as well as a 40mm automatic grenade launcher (AGL) on top of the fuselage.

Remote Weapon Stations (RWS) can replace manned positions. Carrying a smoke grenade launcher is self-defense. Power comes from a 160 hp IVECO 4-cylinder turbo diesel engine.

This, combined with a 5-speed automatic transmission system, gives the vehicle a road speed of 110 km/h and a range of up to 700 km.

The vehicle has a power pack installed inside the front right. This moves the rider forward to the left side of the hull. The passenger area is therefore located in the rear of the fuselage, and the boarding points are located on the sides and rear of the fuselage. There are also access openings along the hull roof line.

The driver has his own roof hatch, and the vehicle commander (sitting directly behind the driver) also manages his own hatch.

As mentioned earlier, the Puma is available in two different wheelbases - 4x4 and 6x6 models. The latter saw an increase in hull length and the addition of another pair of axles/wheels.

This model looks more like an armored personnel carrier (APC), and the 4x4 shape looks a lot like an armored vehicle. The two molds share the same automotive components, simplifying the logistics of supporting both products.

The Argentine Army acquired two Puma vehicles for peacekeeping training, followed by Djibouti with three of its own troops. After Muammar Gaddafi was ousted in the 2011 uprising, the Libyan National Army (Libya is a former Italian colony) received 20 cougars (4x4) directly from the Italian army to strengthen its ranks against insider threats .

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

Depends on weapon.

Changes