Rheinmetall's Puma infantry fighting vehicle has been approved for service by a German military procurement agency, clearing the path to its fielding.

The certification was issued by the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support following months of field trials and technological reviews of the IFV.

"Nothing now stands in the way of the Bundeswehr fielding the new IFV," Rheinmetall said. "The Puma will gradually supersede the Bundeswehr's Marder IFV, whose original version first entered service with German mechanized infantry units over 40 years ago."

The Puma IFV, which can carry six soldiers in addition to its three crew members, is a tracked armored vehicle with a 30mm auto-cannon and machine guns. It has a top speed of nearly 44 mph and a range of 372 miles.

Rheinmetall said the new certification means that personnel to be trained in the use of the Puma can begin with an initial seven vehicles, with more vehicles to come. Germany has ordered 350 Puma IFVs.

A fielding organization will outfit the vehicles following their manufacture with special German Army equipment. Maintenance and technical and logistical support for the German Army vehicles will be conducted by Projektgesellschaft PSM GmbH, a joint venture company of Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann.