In today's Hanpatch content update, we are proud to introduce a whole new, exclusive Battlegroup that can be purchased at the Deployment Zone: The Panzergrenadier Battlegroup, which includes a unique infantry and corresponding fighting vehicle.
Introduced to the German Army in the 2010s, the Puma (cougar) was widely considered the most technologically advanced IFV of its time. Taking into account the experience of German troops in Afghanistan, the design puts a special emphasis on protection for its crew and up to six passengers: Modular 360 degree armour, a defensive chaff dispenser and increased mine protection make the Puma one of the safest IFVs in the world. Its unmanned weapon turret houses a 30mm autocannon - typically loaded with airburst anti-personnel rounds - and a launcher for the powerful Eurospike anti-tank missile. Ever since its introduction, the Puma has become the signature vehicle of Germany's renowned Panzergrenadier mechanised infantry battalions which assist in ECA operations via direct insertion to a Deployment Zone.
In 1942, the German Wehrmacht coined the term Panzergrenadier as a designation for truck-mounted infantry that operated closely with tanks and assault guns in the country's signature doctrine of aggressive mobile warfare. Many of these units, such as the Großdeutschland Division, built a reputation as fierce, highly effective shock troops. After the war, the West German Bundeswehr formed new Panzergrenadier units and evolved them into fully mechanised formations with their own armoured infantry fighting vehicles, from the scandal-ridden HS-30, to the reliable Marder, to the high-tech Puma of the 2010s.
Like their historical predecessors, the modern Panzergrenadiers are feared combatants. Armed with an updated version of the MG3 machine gun - itself a descendant of a WW2 icon, the MG42 - they can easily shred infantry and unarmoured vehicles. In addition, they carry the latest version of the MATADOR, a rocket propelled grenade launcher whose dual purpose warhead can destroy not only tanks but also entrenched infantry inside buildings. The Panzergrenadiers' heavy weaponry and body armour comes at a cost of on-foot mobility - an issue that can be mitigated by equipping them with powered exoskeletons by means of the Venom Protocol. Being trained to operate close to armoured vehicles, they are also adept at avoiding the crushing treads of enemy tanks.
Panzergrenadiers are a unique infantry unit that is only available as part of a new Battlegroup that bears their name. They can be summoned to a Deployment Zone in three six-man teams alongside three Puma IFVs for an expensive but very formidable small-size attack force.
Stay tuned for the next update where we will reveal another new Battlegroup unit that will only be available in Hanpatch, alongside the unique Deployment Zone versions of the ECA infantry which come with their own distinct skins and cameos.
