Profile
- Type
- Infantry fighting vehicle
- Conflict side
- Ukraine
- Origin
- Germany
- Service note
- Cold War design, modernized for current service
Armored Vehicles
Marder 1A3
The Marder 1A3 is a German tracked infantry fighting vehicle armed with a 20 mm cannon, machine gun, smoke launchers, and anti-tank missile capability. In the Russia-Ukraine War, Germany and Rheinmetall supplied refurbished Marder 1A3 vehicles to Ukraine to strengthen mechanized infantry mobility, protected troop movement, and direct fire support.
Service History
- In service
- Introduced into German Army service in the early 1970s; supplied to Ukraine from 2023
- Used by
- Ukrainian Armed Forces, German Army
- Wars
- Russia-Ukraine War, War in Afghanistan
Production History
- Designer
- Rheinmetall Landsysteme
- Designed
- 1959-1969
- Built in
- Germany
- Produced
- 1969-1975
- Variants
- Marder 1A3, Marder 1A5, Marder 1A5A1
Specifications
- Crew
- 3 crew plus 6 dismounts
- Armament
- 20 mm MK 20 DM6A1 cannon, 7.62 mm MG3A1 machine gun, smoke grenade launchers, and MELLS anti-tank missile capability on Bundeswehr-standard vehicles
- Dimensions
- 6.88 m length, 3.38 m width, 3.23 m height
- Engine
- MTU MB 833 EA-500 diesel, 441 kW / 600 hp
- Mobility
- 65 km/h road speed
- Protection
- Tracked armored hull with upgraded 1A3 storage and armor configuration
Conflict Usage
- Russia-Ukraine War
- Side: Ukraine
Supplied to Ukraine by Germany from Bundeswehr and industry stocks, with Rheinmetall-delivered 1A3 vehicles documented in multiple batches from 2023 onward for Ukrainian defense against Russia.
Related Weapon Systems
CV90Tracked infantry fighting vehicleThe CV90 is a Swedish tracked infantry fighting vehicle family built by BAE Systems Hägglunds for protected troop movement and direct-fire support. In Ukrainian service, Swedish-donated CV90s add a heavily armed Western IFV with strong cross-country mobility, a crewed turret, and support arrangements for training, maintenance, and additional vehicles.
M2 BradleyInfantry fighting vehicleA U.S. infantry fighting vehicle valued for optics, survivability, and its 25 mm cannon. Ukrainian crews have used Bradleys for troop movement, fire support, and armored assaults.
AHS Krab155 mm tracked self-propelled howitzerThe AHS Krab is a Polish 155 mm tracked self-propelled howitzer built by Huta Stalowa Wola around a NATO-standard 52-caliber gun, an armored tracked chassis, and modern fire-control equipment. In Ukrainian service it gives artillery units a mobile Western-caliber gun able to fire standard 155 mm ammunition, displace after missions, and operate in counter-battery-threatened sectors of the Russia-Ukraine War.
AS-90155 mm tracked self-propelled howitzerThe AS-90 is a British tracked 155 mm self-propelled howitzer built for armored, mobile indirect fire support. In the Russia-Ukraine War it represents a UK-donated NATO-caliber artillery system for Ukrainian forces, combining a protected tracked chassis, 155 mm ammunition compatibility, rapid burst fire, and a conventional range of about 24.7 km.
Challenger 2Main battle tankThe Challenger 2 is a British third-generation main battle tank built around a rifled 120 mm gun, heavy composite armor, and four-person crew operations. In the Russia-Ukraine War, the United Kingdom supplied a small squadron to Ukraine as one of the first Western main battle tank transfers of the full-scale invasion.
Flakpanzer GepardSelf-propelled anti-aircraft gunThe Flakpanzer Gepard is a tracked German self-propelled anti-aircraft gun built around twin 35 mm automatic cannons and onboard search and tracking radars. In Ukraine it fills a short-range air defense role, pairing Leopard 1 mobility with gun-based engagement of low-flying aircraft, helicopters, missiles, and drones.Sources
Ukraine: Lambrecht coordinates with Austin on fighting vehicles and air defencePublisher: Federal Ministry of Defence | Note: Direct Russia-Ukraine War conflict-use source for Germany's January 2023 decision to deliver up to 40 Marder IFVs to Ukraine from industry and Bundeswehr stocks, with ammunition, training, spare parts, and maintenance support. | Accessed: 2026-06-19Around 200 combat vehicles for Ukraine: Rheinmetall is supplying 20 additional Marder infantry fighting vehiclesPublisher: Rheinmetall | Note: Direct Russia-Ukraine War conflict-use source for Rheinmetall's delivery of additional Marder IFVs to Ukrainian armed forces, including 1A3 vehicles financed by Germany and refurbished from Bundeswehr stocks. | Accessed: 2026-06-19Schuetzenpanzer Marder 1Publisher: Bundeswehr | Note: Supports Bundeswehr-standard Marder 1 specifications, role, armament, crew, dimensions, engine power, speed, and variants. | Accessed: 2026-06-19Marder - Infantry Fighting VehiclePublisher: Rheinmetall | Note: Supports manufacturer background, current Marder upgrade context, and general firepower, mobility, protection, and Ukraine-service context. | Accessed: 2026-06-19UA Marder 1A3 IFV in training.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for a German-made Marder 1A3 in Ukrainian service, attributed to Ukraine's 199th Training Centre and listed as CC BY 4.0 via mil.gov.ua. | Accessed: 2026-06-19