Germany to buy 50 more Puma fighting vehicles for 1.5 billion euros

BERLIN (Reuters) -Germany will buy an additional 50 Puma fighting vehicles worth a total of 1.5 billion euros ($1.65 billion) for its armed forces after the parliamentary budget committee approved the purchase, the defence minister said on Wednesday.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz vowed last year to ramp up defence spending in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, sending weapons to Kyiv and modernising its own military. Some 100 billion euros are available.

The Puma, built by KMW and Rheinmetall, is gradually replacing Germany's old Marder infantry fighting vehicles.

"This is a good decision," said Defence Minister Boris Pistorius. "We need this Puma, especially in light of the changed security situation. We also have a responsibility towards NATO," he said.

Last year, several Puma infantry tanks were put out of service during a military drill after problems arose during a firing exercise.

($1 = 0.9084 euros)

(Reporting by Holger Hansen, writing by Sabine Siebold and Madeline Chambers, editing by Rachel More)