Puma armored engineering vehicle

The Puma (Hebrew: פומ"ה פורץ מכשולים הנדסי) is a heavily armored Combat engineering vehicle and armored personnel carrier that the Engineering Corps of the Israeli Defence Forces has used since the early 1990s. The vehicle can carry a crew of to eight. The 50-ton vehicle's speed is 45 kilometers an hour.

The Puma uses the hull of the Sho't, which is itself a modified British Centurion tank.

Some Pumas are equipped with the Carpet mine-clearing system. This consists of 20 rockets that the crew can fire singly or all together. The rockets contain a fuel-air explosive warhead which spreads a cloud of fuel fumes that are then detonated. The overpressure from the explosion destroys most mines. The Puma then advances behind a set of rollers that trigger any mines the fuel-air explosion did not destroy. There is also electronic equipment for detonating roadside bombs or jamming detonation signals.

Armament consists of three 7.62 mm FN MAG machine guns, including one in a remote turret that the crew can control from within the cabin by a Rafael Overhead Weapons Station (OWS). The vehicle also has a 60mm mortar and two launchers for smoke grenades.

Current developments
Israel is forming a fourth Combat Engineer Battalion that will specialize in dealing with roadside bombs, mines and booby traps. As part of this effort, Israel will also upgrade its Pumas. The army is adding new equipment for dealing with roadside bombs and is training the crews to deal the growing numbers of explosive devices Hamas has been seen using in Gaza.

Controversial Use
The Puma was highlighted by the British government as a breach of agreement when they were used in the Israeli-occupied territories, having components based from the Centurion.