Italy has ordered 580 Puma wheeled armored carriers. Of these, 330 are 4x4 recon vehicles to be issued to the five armored recon regiments, while the 250 6x6 armored personnel carriers will be issued to mountain, airborne, and marine units. The 4x4 vehicle is 5.1m long, carries six passengers and a driver, and has a maximum speed of 105km/hr. It weighs 5,700kg. The 6x6 vehicle is 5.5m long, carries eight passengers and a driver, and has a maximum speed of 100km/hr. It weighs 7,500kg. A future contract will cover specialized variants for support units.--Stephen V Cole