Germany delivers 20 additional Marder infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine
Europe, News April 12, 2024 1 Comment on Germany delivers 20 additional Marder infantry fighting vehicles to UkraineThe German government has tasked defense manufacturer Rheinmetall to deliver 20 additional Marder infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) to Ukraine, the company announced in a release.
According to the Rheinmetall statement, Rheinmetall received the order in March this year in the “mid-double-digit million Euro range” and the delivery will be completed in 2024.
Germany is providing Ukraine with the 1A3 Marder variant equipped with integrated laser range finders, which enable efficient and precise target elimination. Last year in March, Rheinmetall delivered the first 20 of these combat vehicles to Ukraine on behalf of the German government.
The German defense firm Rheinmetall has already delivered more than 100 Marder infantry fighting vehicles to the Ukrainian Armed Forces through direct deliveries and circular exchange programs.
“Rheinmetall acquired the overhauled 1A3 Marder IFV from the Bundeswehr. The company began overhauling the IFVs for immediate deployment at its own expense back in spring 2022. The corresponding work has since been underway at Rheinmetall’s locations in Unterluess and Kassel,” the company said in a statement.
The Marder IFV is one of the world’s most proven weapon systems. The vehicle has received several modernization and combat effectiveness improvements and upgrades throughout its service life. The German armed forces operate the latest version of the IFVs with more than 300 Puma IFVs in operation. The German Bundeswehr is gradually replacing its older Marder IFVs with the latest versions.
In February 2024, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Berlin to meet German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and signed a long-term security deal with Germany. The long-term security cooperation and support agreement between Germany and Ukraine is valid for 10 years and defines priorities in international cooperation in the military, political, financial, and humanitarian spheres.
The treaty stipulates Germany’s “unwavering support” for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and promises to help the country defend itself against aggression. The document also pledges more than $7.5 billion in German defense support for Ukraine this year.
Earlier this year, Germany announced a military package for Ukraine that included deliveries of Marder armored vehicles, tanks, 155mm artillery, small arms ammunition, mine-clearing and bridge-laying tanks, ground surveillance radars, trucks, assault rifles, and other equipment.
Germany has provided Ukraine with advanced defense equipment including Leopard tanks, TRML-4D air surveillance radars, drone detection systems, and artillery and munitions. Germany has also sent its latest Oerlikon Skynex, an anti-aircraft system designed by Rheinmetall for short-range defense. The Skynex system can defend against large tactical drones, air-to-ground missiles, mortars, and artillery rockets. The system consists of a 3D target-acquisition radar, which can identify aerial threats within a 50-kilometer range.
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[…] week Germany announced that the government has tasked defense manufacturer Rheinmetall to deliver 20 additional Marder infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine. The 1A3 Marder variant equipped with integrated laser range finders, which enable efficient and […]