Rheinmetall from Germany supplies 20 more Marder Infantry Fighting Vehicles to Ukraine.

Berlin, Germany, June 23, 2023 - Rheinmetall AG, a major German defense company, announced today that will supply Ukraine with 20 Marder 1A3 Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs), with a total order worth a lower-two-digit million-euro range, commissioned by the German government.
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German company Rheinmetall to supply Marder 1A3 IFV Infantry Fighting Vehicles to Ukraine. (Picture source Army Recognition)

The first delivery of twenty Marder IFVs was shipped to Ukraine on March 21, 2023. An additional twenty units were transferred from existing Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces) stocks. Rheinmetall also stated that it could supply an additional sixty units, with production currently underway at its plants in Kassel and Unterlüß. The company can deliver up to ten infantry fighting vehicles per month.

In parallel with the resupply to Ukraine, forty Marder IFVs will also be delivered to Greece as part of the German government's "Ringtausch" program. The deliveries are scheduled for this summer.

The "Ringtausch" is a multilateral equipment exchange program intended to bolster Ukraine's war effort against Russian aggression. The program facilitates the transfer of Soviet-era heavy equipment from Ukraine to other countries, in return for surplus Western-made systems.

Rheinmetall is participating in several "Ringtausch" exchanges involving the armed forces of Greece, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Slovenia.

The Marder IFVs to be supplied are overhauled Marder 1A3 systems formerly owned by the Bundeswehr. Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH started restoring the IFVs to immediate combat readiness status at its own expense at its sites in Unterlüß and Kassel in the spring of 2022.

Designed for and still in service with the Bundeswehr, the Marder IFV is considered one of the most reliable weapons systems of its kind worldwide. It has been continually modernized and received multiple combat upgrades throughout its service life.

The Marder 1A3 is an IFV Infantry Fighting Vehicle that is still in service with the German army. (Picture source Army Recognition)

The Marder 1A3 is an advanced variant of the Marder, a German infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) designed and built for the Bundeswehr (German Army). The Marder series has been a staple of the Bundeswehr since the 1970s, with the 1A3 model representing an important evolution in the line.

Developed by Rheinmetall, the Marder 1A3 comes equipped with a 20mm autocannon as its main armament, supported by a coaxial 7.62mm MG3 machine gun. It also features an anti-tank guided missile launcher, providing an extra level of protection against enemy armored vehicles.

One of the major advancements of the 1A3 variant over its predecessors is its enhanced armor protection. Additional composite armor was added to the front and sides of the hull, as well as the turret, to protect against 30mm AP rounds. The underbelly was also reinforced to withstand anti-tank mine blasts.

The Marder 1A3 can carry a crew of three, including the driver, commander, and gunner, and up to six infantry soldiers. It features a fully tracked layout that provides excellent mobility over various terrains, while its compact dimensions allow for easier transportation and deployment.

In terms of communications, the 1A3 variant also saw updates to its radio systems, which include SEM 80/90 VHF transceivers, enabling secure, encrypted communications with other units and command posts.

Despite the age of the Marder platform, regular updates and modernization efforts have kept the Marder 1A3 a viable fighting vehicle, and it remains an important part of Bundeswehr's armored vehicle fleet.