Rheinmetall Will Supply 20 Additional Marder 1A3 to Ukraine

Rheinmetall AG, Germany, has just announced that it will supply 20 Marder 1A3 Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFV) to Ukraine, which has an order from the German government.

The vehicle to be supplied is the Marder 1A3 owned by the Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces), which will be upgraded first by Rheinmetall.

This Marder 1A3 variant is an upgraded version of the 1A1/1A2 series.

A total of 2,100 IFVs were upgraded in 1988 and 1989.

One of the main advantages of the 1A3 variant over its predecessor is the increased armor protection.

Additional composite armor was attached to the fore and sides of the hull, as well as the turret, to protect against 30 mm AP rounds.

The abdomen is also strengthened to withstand anti-tank mine explosions.

The radio communication hardware on the Marder 1A3 is also getting an update, including an SEM 80/90 VHF transceiver, enabling secure and encrypted communication with other units and command posts.

The main weapon is a 20 mm caliber gun with a 7.62 mm machine gun (coaxial) as a secondary weapon.

The Marder 1A3 can carry a crew of three (driver, commander, and gunner) and six infantry soldiers.

Previously, the German government had provided assistance with 20 Marder 1A3, which were sent to Ukraine in March 2023.