According to information published by the German weekly news magazine "Der Spiegel" on March 4, 2023, the German company Rheinmetall will provide Ukraine 250 tracked armored vehicles including 100 Marder 1A3 tracked armored IFVs (Infantry Fighting Vehicles), and 150 Leopard 2A4 and Leopard 1A5 Main Battle Tanks (MBTs).
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German company Rheinmetall to deliver 25 armored vehicles to Ukraine including 100 Marder 1A3 tracked armored IFVs, 50 Leopard 2A4 tanks, and around 100 Leopard 1A5 tanks.
Citing information from the German company Rheinmetall, more than 40 Marder tracked armored IFVs (Infantry Fighting Vehicles) have been refurbished, and by the end of this year, around 100 Marder IFVs will be fully operational.
On January 14, 2023, the Army Recognition editorial team reported that the German Government confirmed the delivery to Ukraine of 40 Marder tracked armored IFVs. This vehicle is still in service with the German army. Currently, the German army had a total of 710 IFVs including 305 Marder 1A3/A4, 71 Marder 1A5, and 334 Puma.
The Marder 1A3 is a German Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) that was introduced in 1984. It is an upgraded version of the Marder 1A2 and features several improvements in terms of protection, mobility, and firepower. Some of the upgrades include the addition of thicker armor, a new powerpack, and a more powerful main gun.
The Marder 1A3 is a tracked Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) with a box-shaped hull made of welded steel plates that provide protection against small arms fire, shell splinters, and some types of mines. The hull is mounted on a tracked chassis that gives the vehicle good mobility over different types of terrain.
The Marder 1A3 has a crew of three, including a driver, a gunner, and a commander, and can carry up to seven infantry soldiers. The driver sits in front of the hull, while the gunner and commander are located in the turret, which is mounted on top of the hull. The rear of the hull can accommodate up to seven infantrymen who enter and leave the vehicle via a hydraulic ramp located at the rear of the vehicle.
The main armament of the Marder 1A3 is a 20mm Rheinmetall MK 20 Rh202 automatic cannon, which is capable of firing both high-explosive and armor-piercing rounds. The vehicle also has a coaxial 7.62mm machine gun for use against softer targets.
German army Marder 1A3 tracked armored IFV Infantry Fighting Vehicle. (Picture source U.S. DoD)
According to information provided by the German company Rheinmetall, Ukraine will receive a total of 50 Leopard 2A4 Main Battle Tanks (MBTs), out of which around 30 are now already operational.
The Leopard 2A4 is a main battle tank developed in Germany in the early 1980s. It is an upgraded version of the original Leopard 2 tank, which was introduced in the late 1970s. The Leopard 2A4 features improved armor protection and a more powerful engine, as well as upgrades to its weapons and sensors.
The tank has a crew of four, including a driver, a gunner, a loader, and a commander. The main armament of the Leopard 2A4 is a 120mm smoothbore cannon, which is capable of firing a wide range of ammunition types, including armor-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot (APFSDS) rounds, high explosive anti-tank (HEAT) rounds, and high explosive (HE) rounds.
Germany army Leopard 2A4 MBT Main Battle Tank. (Picture source KMW)
Additionally, there are around 100 older Leopard 1 tanks, of which the German company Rheinmetall can make 88 usable again based on today's standards. On February 8, 2023, the Defense Ministers of Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands announced the supply of 100 refurbished Leopard 1A5 Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) coming from private defense company stocks.
The Leopard 1A5 is an upgraded version of the original Leopard 1 tank, which was developed in the 1960s. The Leopard 1A5 was first introduced in the late 1980s and features a number of upgrades to its armor, weapons, and electronics.
The tank has a crew of four, including a driver, a gunner, a loader, and a commander. The main armament of the Leopard 1A5 is a 105mm rifled gun, which is capable of firing a wide range of ammunition types, including armor-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot (APFSDS) rounds and high explosive (HE) rounds.
German Leopard 1A5 MBT Main Battle Tank. (Picture source KMW)
