Acting on behalf of the German government, Rheinmetall already shipped the first of twenty Marder IFVs to Ukraine back on 21 March 2023.  Ukraine received a further twenty of these tried-and-tested vehicles directly from existing Bundeswehr stocks. In addition to the Marders ordered to date, Rheinmetall can make a further sixty available. Work on this is already underway at Rheinmetall’s plants in Kassel and Unterlüß. Up to ten infantry fighting vehicles can be delivered per month. 

Under the German government’s “Ringtausch” programme, Greece will also be receiving forty Marder IFVs. These too are to be shipped this summer.  The “Ringtausch” is a multilateral equipment exchange programme designed to support Ukraine’s war effort in the face of Russian aggression. In cooperation with Germany’s European neighbours and NATO partners, Soviet-era heavy equipment is being transferred to Ukraine in exchange for surplus Western-made systems. Rheinmetall is taking part in various “Ringtausch” exchanges involving the armed forces of Greece, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Slovenia. 

The vehicles being made available are overhauled Marder 1A3 systems formerly owned by the Bundeswehr. As early as spring 2022, Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH began restoring the infantry fighting vehicles to a state of immediate combat readiness at its own expense at its sites in Unterlüß and Kassel. 

Developed for the Bundeswehr and still in service with the German Army, the Marder infantry fighting vehicle numbers among the most reliable weapons systems of its kind anywhere. Steadily modernized, the vehicle has undergone repeated combat upgrades in the course of its career.