Back in the spring of last year, the Ukrainian government sent Germany a request for the transfer of 100 units of Marder infantry fighting vehicles. At the same time, the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov received an official refusal in a telephone conversation with his colleague Kristin Lambrecht.

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However, January 2023 became full of military and political changes. Ukraine agreed with Germany on the transfer of BMP and main tanks of the German army. The Ukrainian military has already set out to study new equipment, so we will soon receive both BMPs and crews for their use at the front. What these combat vehicles are known for and what result they can bring for Ukrainian soldiers, we will find out below.

Development history

Together with the decision of the Americans to transfer the Bradley infantry fighting vehicle, which we wrote about earlier, the Bundeswehr agreed to supply the German counterpart – the Marder infantry fighting vehicle. The machines are similar in purpose and both were created to counter the Soviets. Therefore, the fact that the Marder was created as far back as the 70s is not a “minus” – the BMP knows well how to disable Soviet equipment that serves the Russians.

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Moreover, further modernizations continued to rely on the design, which should be effective in the fight against the “reds”. In addition, the new modifications successfully complemented other German equipment.

We are talking about the Marder 2 BMP, which was created in the 80s and was not inferior to the Leopard 2 tanks in terms of technical parameters of maneuverability. Given the collapse of the USSR, the production of the successor to the Marder stopped, although the project was called the most modern BMP in the world.

However, already in January 2020, the Rheinmetall company began a new stage of maintenance work on 71 Marder BMP units in the 1А5 modification (with enhanced mine protection) by order of the state. The machines will be aimed at modernization and equipped with the latest technology – with the MELLS anti-tank guided system (with a missile range of 4 km), a detection and surveillance system, a thermal sight, etc.

At the same time, Germany does not stop the transition to the new Puma BMP, which is the main BMP of the mechanized units of their army, so we can hope that Rheinmetall will prepare some part of the repaired equipment for Ukraine as well.

Even the announced aid package includes 20 Marder machines sent by the Bundeswehr from its own warehouses and the same number transferred by the Rheinmetall company itself. One gets the impression that the machines are sent directly from the assembly line – however, the age of the equipment requires maintenance, so it is not surprising that Rheinmetall is actively preparing the Marder for combat use.

Regarding the experience of using the Marder, the machine took part in military operations in Afghanistan, as well as in peacekeeping missions in Kosovo. In addition to Germany, BMP operators include Indonesia, Jordan, Chile and Greece.

It is worth adding that the Marder has a wide range of modifications – from the time of its appearance to today, you can count 13 different BMPs with improvements in weapons, means of communication or armor. Currently, there is a discussion in the mass media about the exact version that Ukraine will receive.

Most agree that, by analogy with the Bradley, we will receive the largest modification of the Marder A3 BMP. This modification is distinguished by improved protection, the presence of a machine gun on the tower, an updated chassis and brake system. This version also has an updated anti-tank system with a thermal sight and a firing range of up to 2 km.

The main advantages of the design

It is worth saying that at one time the Marder BMP was a star among combat vehicles, but now, given its respectable age, it is still inferior to others, for example, Bradley in digitization and fire control system. But this machine is a very reliable and proven solution, which is confirmed by the fact that the Germans are in no hurry to retire it without replacing it with 100% new Pumas.

At one time, the Marder tracked chassis served as the basis of another type of machine – anti-aircraft missile systems, self-propelled mortars, etc. The BMP is driven by a Daimler-Benz MB833 diesel engine with a capacity of 600 hp, with which the car can reach a speed of up to 65 km/h. The operational range is up to 600 km, and the trackability is excellent: the BMP can overcome a slope of up to 35 °, a wall 1 m high, a ditch 2.5 m wide and a ford 1.5 m deep.

The Marder’s armament is represented by the main 20mm Mk20 DM5 Rh202 autocannon and a paired 7.62mm MG3 machine gun. The gun has 1,250 rounds of ammunition, the machine gun has 5,000 rounds. Although the rate of fire of the gun is up to 1000 shots per minute, the lack of stabilization allows you to shoot in short bursts, instead of volley fire.

At the same time, the effective firing range is up to 300 m against air targets and up to 2.5 km against ground targets. The BMP is also equipped with an anti-tank missile complex MILAN 2T, which has one disadvantage for use – the need for the military to go outside.

One of the main advantages of this BMP is the protected steel armor. Since 1989, BMP began to be equipped with armor that can withstand 30-mm armor-piercing subcaliber shells. In other versions, information about protection against 20 mm or 25 mm projectiles is most often found. The structure is completely sealed, the crew consists of three people – the commander, the gunner and the driver-mechanic. The place for landing can accommodate 5-7 soldiers.

Marder meets the modern parameters of Western combat vehicles in the surveillance system. BMP can operate effectively at night thanks to thermal imaging sights, which is not inferior to the American Bradley.

Technical characteristics of the Marder A3 BMP:

Application scenarios

As with any other BMP, the main task of the Marder is to transport infantry to combat zones and provide fire support. The special feature of the Marder is that it is a great addition to Germany’s long-awaited Leopard tanks.

The BMP moves at the same pace as the tank, so it forms a strike group for joint actions. BMP is able to operate at night thanks to thermal imaging, so it will help tanks break through defenses at any time of the day. The Marder’s armament is sufficient to increase the firepower of the group and disable other armored enemy vehicles.

If you roughly compare the Marder with the Bradley, the German machine is inferior to the American in the level of digitalization, which emphasizes the difference in the age of the machines. However, if you compare the Marder with its Soviet counterparts, the German machine is much more protected. This is a fortress on wheels, from which you need to get out only when you need to stop an enemy tank.

The main scenario for Marder’s use is in offensive actions. Taking into account the transfer of BMPs and tanks to Ukraine, we can hope to form a strong “fist” with a sufficient amount of equipment for the final expulsion of the enemy from our land.