Rheinmetall from Germany prepares the supply to Ukraine of 88 Leopard 1A5 tanks and 100 Marder IFVs.

According to information published by the "WSW.ORG" website on May 21, 2022, German company Rheinmetall prepares the supply to Ukraine of 88 Leopard 1A5 Main Battle Tanks and 100 Marder tracked armored IFVs (Infantry Fighting Vehicles).
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The German company Rheinmetall prepares the supply to Ukraine of 88 Leopard 1A5 tanks and 100 tracked armored Infantry Fighting Vehicles. 

At the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, the German population was divided on the issue of military support for Ukraine. Members of the German Government, as well as citizens, thought that the supply of heavy weapons and the training of Ukrainian soldiers in Germany may drag the country into the war.

Today Germany takes a further step to increase the delivery of weapons to Ukraine. In April 2022, the German government announced plans to release more than €1 billion in military aid to Ukraine following complaints by Kyiv that it is not receiving heavy weapons from Berlin.

Today, Germany has already delivered to Ukraine 2,450 RGW 90 man-portable anti-tank weapons, 1,600 DM22, and 3,000 DM31 anti-tank mines. In the next few weeks, Germany will also deliver PzH 2000 155mm tracked self-propelled howitzers and Gepard 35mm self-propelled anti-aircraft gun systems.

With this possibility of delivery of Leopard 1A5 main battle tanks and Marder infantry fighting vehicles, Germany will be one of the European countries that provide the largest military aid to Ukraine in terms of armored vehicles. The German Army has a large stock of Leopard 1A5 MBTs (Main Battle Tanks) and Marder tracked armored IFVs (Infantry Fighting Vehicles) which are in storage and no longer active service.

The Leopard 1A5 is the latest improved version in the Leopard 1 tank family. First converted tanks were delivered to the German Army in December 1986 and a total of 1,300 were delivered through to 1992. Today, the tank is no longer in active service with the German army.

The main armament of the Leopard 1A5 consists of one 105 mm L7A3 rifled tank gun which consists of a single-piece barrel with a screwed-on breech-ring and a bore evacuator. It can fire all the NATO standard 105 mm rounds of ammunition and a total of 60 rounds are carried inside the tanks with 42 ammunition stored in the hull and 18 in the turret. The second armament of the Leopard 1 includes one 7.62mm coaxial machine gun. Another 7.62mm machine is mounted at the commander's or loader's station.

Currently, a total of 710 tracked armored IFVs are in service with the German army including 305 Marder 1A3/A4, 71 Marder 1A5, and 334 Puma. According to our sources, German company Rheinmetall could deliver Marder 1A3s from the German army military inventory.

The Marder 1A3 is fitted with a two-man turret with the commander on the right and the gunner on the left. The main armament of the vehicle consists of one 20 mm Rheinmetall MK 20 Rh202 automatic cannon. The second armament of the Marder 1A3 includes one 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun MG3 mounted to the right of the main armament. Two banks of three electrically operated 76 mm smoke grenade dischargers are mounted between the coaxial machine gun and the gun. On the right side of the turret, there is also a MILAN anti-tank guided missile launcher station operated by the commander with one missile ready to fire and six inside the vehicles. The latest generation of MILAN missiles has a maximum range of 3,000 m.