NEWTOWN, Conn. - The Type 6634 AVL Puma production line remains dormant at the present time, following the completion in 2004 of the Italian Army's initial 580 vehicle order.
In 2001, the Italian Army held a total procurement objective of 2,000 Puma vehicles, in both 4x4 and 6x6 configurations. However, fiscal constraints and economic realities eventually forced the Army to reduce its objective to 580 units in total.
With both Italy and the broader Eurozone still struggling to cope with the fallout from the 2008 financial crisis and the impact of economic austerity measures, the future of Italian Puma procurement is highly uncertain. Indeed, Italy's recent transfer of portions of its Puma vehicle stocks to the armed forces of Libya and Djibouti cast some level of doubt upon the prospect of renewed Puma procurement by the Italian Army within the forecast period.
Nevertheless, in the event further acquisitions become financially plausible, the Italian Army may yet attempt to pursue at least one follow-on order of Puma vehicles during the forecast period, in order to buttress the long-term operational readiness of the service's wheeled armored vehicle fleet.
In February 2013, the Italian Army donated 20 Puma vehicles to the Libyan Army. The donated vehicles comprise one part of a broader defense and cooperation plan between the Italian and post-Qadafi Libyan armed services. The donation was intended to signify Italy's dedication to the development and security of the post-Qadhafi Libyan state, and serve to increase the operational capabilities of the national Libyan Army in order to better cope with the ongoing challenges of post-revolutionary civil instability.
In 2013, Djibouti acquired an unspecified quantity of Puma 4x4 vehicles. It remains uncertain as to whether the vehicles were purchased or donated, but reports suggest that in either case the vehicles were likely drawn from Italian Army stocks. Evidence from a 2014 Djiboutian military parade indicates that the country operates at least six Puma 4x4 vehicles.
The overall market potential of the Puma remains heavily restrained by the contraction of defense budgets and implementation of domestic austerity measures across the European continent. As a result, the Puma's strongest opportunities for export sales during the next decade are likely to be derived from the Middle Eastern, African and South American defense markets.
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