Ivan Momcilovic Momcha
The Puma is a heavily armoured combat engineering vehicle/ personnel carrier, used by the Israeli Defence Forces since the early 1990s. Based on the hull of the Sho’t (itself a modified version of the British Centurion tank), the 50-ton vehicle can reach a speed of 45km/h, and can accommodate a crew of eight. Some of these vehicles are equipped with the ‘Carpet’ mine-clearing system, a series of twenty rockets that can be fired independently or collectively. The rockets contain a fuel-air explosive warhead, which spreads a cloud of fuel fumes that are then detonated to destroy most of the mines around the vehicle. Any that remain are then detonated by the set of rollers mounted in front of the Puma. The vehicle is also equipped with electronic devices designed to trigger roadside bombs, and jam detonation signals. The Puma is capable of towing a mobile bridge, which can be deployed over trenches and enemy land obstacles.