Germany will no longer buy Puma armored combat vehicles until they prove reliable, Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said after several vehicles were taken out of service during a recent military exercise, Reuters reported.

“Until the vehicle proves to be stable, there will be no second lot. The criticism from Parliament is completely justified,” said Lambrecht on Monday in Berlin.

“Our troops have to be able to rely on the fact that weapon systems are robust and stable in combat. And NATO can continue to rely on our fulfillment of our duties with the VJTF. We already planned the Marder infantry fighting vehicle during the preparations and that has proven to be wise .”

The German Defense Ministry said in a statement that the goal is to bring Puma to operational readiness as soon as possible. Meanwhile, the German armed forces of the Bundeswehr will use the Marder TBM, the predecessor model to the Puma, starting Jan. 1 in what a ministry spokesman called a backup solution.

Last weekend, Spiegel magazine reported that 18 Puma MBMs destined for next year's NATO Joint Readiness Task Force had malfunctioned due to problems during a firing exercise.