With the decisions of the Budget Committee of the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag), a total of around 594 million euros will be invested in the capabilities of the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr). This extends the service life of the Marder infantry fighting vehicle, procures additional Meteor guided missiles, maintains the capabilities to combat enemy air defense and increases the number of route clearance systems. Germany is also getting involved in a European digital radio development project.
New powertrains for the Marder infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) are being procured for around 109 million euros. A total 71 vehicles of the A5 and A5A1 mine-protected variants of the Marder fleet are to be converted. This retrofit contributes to the combat effectiveness of the Bundeswehr’s mechanized infantry units and thus to the credibility of the Federal Republic of Germany in international security contexts. Together with the components that are no longer used, the supply of spare parts for the armored personnel carriers is guaranteed until at least 2030, after which they will be replaced by the Puma infantry combat vehicle.
The Marder (German for “marten”) is a German infantry fighting vehicle operated by the German Army as the main weapon of the Panzergrenadiere (mechanized infantry) from the 1970s through to the present day. Newest version of the Marder is the Marder 1A5 with advanced mine protection. Additional anti-mine armor and completely remodeled interior in order to avoid blast and shock injuries to the crew when hit by a mine. Equipped with air conditioning system, jammer for IED-protection and multi-spectral camouflage.
