Rheinmetall will deliver a new batch of 20 Marder infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine, as announced on the company's website. These are the vehicles earlier acquired from the German army, Bundeswehr, and commissioned for repair by the German government with subsequent transfer to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The new order was placed in March 2024, bringing the total number of Marder vehicles pending for supply to Ukraine up to 50 units, and the overall commitment of Germany to 140 Marders for the Ukrainian Army. Rheinmetall expects this new lot to be delivered "within 2024." The contract value is in the "mid double-digit million Euro range," i.e. between €30 and €60 million.
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Defense Express reminds that on March 26th, a new "armored vehicle coalition" in support of Ukraine was established during a conference in Warsaw, Poland. Initiated by Poland and Germany, the coalition was soon joined by the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Italy. One of the main tasks outlined by the participants is to provide Kyiv with armored vehicles and ammunition to them.
Rheinmetall also recalls that while the Marders began to arrive in Ukraine in March 2023, the company has been working on repairs and refurbishment of the dusted German Marder 1A3s at its own expense since the outbreak of the russian invasion in spring 2022.
Marders were seen in use with the Ukrainian Air Assault Forces, who praise the level of protection, firepower, and even comfort provided by the German vehicle, designed back in the early 1960s and "repeatedly modernized and improved in its combat effectiveness" since then, as emphasized by the manufacturer.
"The driver's seat is like a throne, compared to BMP-1 and BMP-2," says an interviewed officer of Ukraine's Air Assault Forces as he weighs the German IFV against its Soviet-era counterparts in terms of convenience. The landing compartment is also comfortable and it doesn't sway from side to side.
Here's also an interesting video report from United24 Media in which the Marder 1A3 is compared to the BMP-2 in both specifications and practical dimensions.
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