Marder infantry fighting vehicles already on the way to Ukraine – German defense minister

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that Germany has started supplying Marder infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine. They are already on their way.

CNN reports this.

The official did not reveal when the promised armored infantry vehicles will be delivered to Ukraine.

Germany assured that it would transfer 40 units of such equipment to Ukraine.

It should be noted that the Ukrainian military arrived in Germany at the end of January for training on the Marder infantry fighting vehicles.

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This fighting vehicle is well-protected by armor and is relatively fast and well-armed. Still, it has some disadvantages.

The Marder platform was conceived in the late 1950s as a universal machine not only for infantry fighting vehicles. Armored vehicles of various purposes have been built on its base: short-range anti-aircraft missile systems, armored medical vehicles, self-propelled mortars, and engineering and transport vehicles.

In 1970, Mak and Rheinstahl produced the first serial samples of the Marder infantry fighting vehicle at their factories. The production of this combat vehicle lasted only five years, but during this relatively short period, 3111 vehicles came off the assembly line. Over the next few decades, the Marder underwent a series of upgrades, including the Marder 1A1, then the 1A1A, 1A2, 1A3, 1A4, and 1A5. Today, version 1A3 is the most common modernization of this combat vehicle.

1A3 was produced from 1988 to 1998. Modifications include additional armor, new night vision devices, and a section for storing personal belongings of the crew. The mass of the vehicle increased to 33.5 tons.

The German army has 390 "Marders" on combat duty, and many of these vehicles are in storage warehouses. In addition, Germany also exported 290 units to Chile, 50 units to Jordan, and 50 units to Indonesia. Also, 20 units were sent to Greece. This happened after Greece sent Ukraine 40 BMP-1 of licensed Czechoslovak production.

Ukraine is likely to receive the Marder 1A3 version of the vehicle. The crew of this infantry fighting vehicle consists of three people: a commander, a gunner, and a mechanic-driver. In addition, the combat vehicle can carry up to 5 paratroopers. In other versions, the machine could transport one more paratrooper, but after installing the Milan anti-tank missile complex, this place was taken to transport ammunition missiles.

The main armament of the Marder is the 20 mm Rheinmetall Mk 20 Rh202 gun. One of the disadvantages of an automatic gun is the lack of a sight stabilizer, which prevents aiming fire on the move. But the machine is equipped with thermal imaging and night sights. Ammunition is 1250 shells. The effective firing range is 2,500 meters. An additional weapon is a twin 7.62mm MG3 machine gun with 5,000 rounds of ammunition. Also, one of the disadvantages is that the Milan anti-tank missile complex prevents firing from the main 20-mm gun. To fire from it, the complex must be removed.

The Marder has a 600 hp MTU MB 833 Ea-500 diesel engine which allows to develop a maximum speed of 65 km/h on the highway.

The armor of the Marder combat vehicle is welded steel that protects the crew and troops from small arms and 20 mm guns. The stern and sides of the vehicle are also protected from shrapnel, artillery shells, and small arms. In version 1A3, additional armor plates were installed on the sides of the infantry fighting vehicle for better crew protection, and the front part began to withstand the 30 mm guns.

This vehicle was tried in combat for the first time only in 2009 in Afghanistan, where it was used in several conflicts against the terrorist organization – the Taliban. Marder was used in peacekeeping operations in Kosovo.