The Italian Ministry of Defence has issued a call for proposals to develop a new ground vehicle for military reconnaissance missions.
According to a recently published contract notice, the ministry plans to acquire up to 600 vehicles for 140 million euros ($158 million).
The total value could exceed 300 million euros ($338 million) with the addition of related supplies and support services.
Selected proposals will move on to the program’s second phase for further evaluation.
No timeline has been disclosed for the development, testing, or fielding of the new vehicle.
Puma Replacement?
The Italian Army currently operates at least 180 VBL Puma 4×4 armored reconnaissance vehicles, acquired from Iveco beginning in 2003. The 4×4 variant accommodates a crew of four.
The service also fields more than 380 Puma 6×6 vehicles, each capable of carrying up to six soldiers plus a driver.
Several reports suggested that the planned procurement of hundreds of new reconnaissance vehicles could signal a potential replacement for the aging Puma fleet.
Earlier this year, Italian-made Puma vehicles were seen in use by the Ukrainian military, though no official transfer has been confirmed.
This adds further weight to speculation that Rome is preparing to phase out the Puma platform in favor of a more modern, versatile reconnaissance vehicle.
Other Investments in Military Vehicles
In January, Italy announced plans to acquire more than 1,000 KF41 Lynx infantry fighting vehicles and up to 380 KF51 Panther main battle tanks from Rheinmetall.
The government expects to invest roughly 16 billion euros ($18 billion) in the Lynx systems and around 10 billion euros ($11.3 billion) in the Panthers.
The Ministry of Defence has also contracted the Iveco–Oto Melara Consortium to supply 76 medium armored combat vehicles for the Italian Army.
In October 2024, Italy and Germany unveiled a joint venture through Leonardo and Rheinmetall to co-develop a new generation of tanks based on the Panther platform.
