.gif)
Marder (IFV)
Encyclopedia
The Marder is a German
infantry fighting vehicle
operated by the German Army
as the main weapon of the Panzergrenadier
e (mechanized infantry) from the 1970s through the present day. Developed as part of the rebuilding of Germany
's armoured fighting vehicle
industry, the Marder has proven to be a successful and solid infantry fighting vehicle
design. While it does include a few unique features, such as the fully remote machine gun on the rear deck, it is overall a simple and conventional machine with rear exit hatch and side gun ports for mounted infantry to fire through. Its successor, the Puma
, is under development.
Around 2,100 were taken into service by the German Army in the early 1970s, but the vehicle in its German variant was not sold to any foreign militaries. As the German Army began to retire older vehicles, the Chilean government agreed to acquire 200 Marders; the government of Greece is considering the purchase of 450 retired vehicles. Argentina uses a simplified and locally produced variant, the VCTP, and has a number of vehicles based on that platform constructed by Henschel and built by TAMSE.
The vehicle was intended to be an improvement over the Schützenpanzer Lang HS.30
. The main requirements were:
Initially development contracts were awarded to two groups of companies the Rheinstahl group (Rheinstahl-Hanomag
, Ruhrstahl, Witten-Annen, Büro Warnecke) and the second group comprising Henschel Werke and the Swiss MOWAG
company. This resulted in the production of seven prototype vehicles. A second set of eight prototype vehicles were built between 1961 and 1963. Development priority was then switched for a while to the development of the Jagdpanzer 90 mm Kanone.
In 1967, after military requirements were finalized, a third and final set of ten prototypes were built. Final development work was completed by the Rheinstahl group, and 10 pre-production vehicles were built and completed troop trials with the German army between October 1968 and March 1969. In May 1969, the vehicle was officially named the "Marder" and in October Rheinstahl was chosen as the prime contractor.
The first production Marder 1 was handed to the German army on 7 May 1971. Production of the vehicle continued until 1975, with 2,136 vehicles being completed.
In 1975 the Milan missile was first adapted to be fired by commander from his open hatch, and between 1977 and 1979 Milan missiles were fitted to army vehicles.
A number of upgrade programs were carried out, that included fitting night vision equipment and a thermal imager, as well as an upgraded ammunition feed to the 20 mm cannon.
Around 1985 the designation was changed to Marder-1 (until then it was simply Marder) since a follow-up IFV was under construction. Since the new vehicle should be the partner of the Leopard-II just like Marder was the companion to the Standardpanzer/Leopard I, it was named Marder-2 and the older vehicles re-designated.
The A3 upgrade program began in 1988, with Thyssen-Henschel being awarded a contact to upgrade 2,100 Marder 1 A1/A2 series vehicles to A3 standard at a rate of 220 a year. The first upgraded vehicles reached the German army on 17 November 1989. The modification package included:
The hull of the Marder 1 is all welded steel, giving protection from small-arms fire and shell fragments with the front of the hull providing protection from up to 20 millimeters APDS rounds. Later variants had increased protection up to 30mm APDS, in response to the 30 mm autocannon armed BMP-2
and the development of top attack cluster bomblets.
The Marder is a relatively conventional design, with the driver sitting at the front left side of the hull with the engine to his right. The driver has three day periscopes mounted in a hatch that opens to the right. The center periscope can be replaced by a passive night vision device. Behind the driver is a seat for a single infantry man. In early version of the Marder this infantry man had a hatch which opened to the right and a periscope that could be rotated through 360 degrees, this hatch was removed in the 1A3 variant onwards.
In the center of the hull is the two man turret, which holds the commander on the right and the gunner on the left, both are provided with hatches. The commander has eight day periscopes for all round observation and the gunner has an additional three. The primary sighting system is the PERI-Z11 sight which has either 2x or 6x optical magnification. The sight can be replaced by a night vision device. To the rear of the turret is the troop compartment, which can hold six infantry men, sitting back to back facing outwards along the center of the hull.
The Marder is capable of fording in up to 1.5 meters of water unprepared, and can be fitted with a kit allowing it to ford water up to 2.5 meters deep.
The Marder is powered by an MTU MB Ea-500 six-cylinder liquid cooled diesel engine
which develops approximately 600 horsepower
at 2,200 rpm. The cooling radiators are mounted at the rear of hull either side of the exit ramp. The engine is coupled to a Renk four speed HSWL 194 planetary gear box with four forward and two reverse gears. The transmission also provides steering and braking via a stepless hydrostatic unit which transmits power to two drive units mounted at the front of the hull. The vehicle carries 652 litres of fuel, giving it a road range of around 500 kilometers. Early Marders could achieve a road speed of 75 km/h in 4th gear, but the extra armour of later vehicles reduced this to 65 km/h.
The Marder is propelled by a Diehl track which can be fitted with rubber road pads. The drive mechanism consists of six rubber tyred road wheel with a drive sprocket at the front of the hull and an idler at the rear. Three return rollers are also fitted. The suspension is a torsion bar system, with additional hydrostatic shock absorbers fitted to the front two and last two road wheels.
Primary armament is the 20 mm Rheinmetall
MK 20 Rh202 autocannon
mounted in the small two-man turret
which can fire either armour-piercing or HE rounds. Mounted coaxial
ly to the left of the cannon is a 7.62 mm MG3 machine gun
. The turret has 360 degree traverse, and can elevate from -17 degrees to +65 degrees at a rate of 40 degrees per second while traversing at a rate of 60 degrees a second. Early Marders up to and including version 1A1 had a second MG3 mounted on the rear deck in a remote controlled pod. Typically 1,250 rounds are carried for the 20 mm cannon, along with a further 5,000 rounds for the MG3.
On current models since version 1A2, a MILAN
anti-tank guided missile launcher can be attached to the turret to provide enhanced anti-armour capabilities. Typically six missiles are carried inside the vehicle.
There are four (two per side) gun ports which can be used by mounted infantry to provide additional fire against attacking infantry targets. Only Marder 1A1 and 1A2 had been equipped with this. Marder 1A3 and above do not have gun ports due to an extra layer of amour and outside storage boxes.
Six 76 millimeter diameter smoke grenade dischargers can create a visual and infra-red blocking smoke screen.
The Marder 1A3 is the currently most common version of this system, and is in service with the German Bundeswehr
, the Marder 1A4 differs from the 1A3 only by the use of a cryptography
-capable radio-set. Newest version of the Marder is the Marder 1A5 with advanced mine protection. Only a small number of this variant is in service.
The Marder served as the basis for Thyssen-Henschel
's medium tank design which became the TAM
for Argentina
. A simplified version of the Marder is also employed as an infantry fighting vehicle, mortar carrier and rocket launcher by the Argentinian Army, realising most of the versions originally planned for the Bundeswehr and later abandoned due to costs and/or the availability of cheap alternatives like the M106 mortar carrier. The Marder is also used as a carrier for the Roland
air defence system. The Kanonenjagdpanzer
and Raketenjagdpanzer 2
started development as part of the Marder family but where realised based on the second batch of prototypes using different engines etc. The Kanonenjagdpanzer build for Belgium are a hybrid between the original Bundeswehr version and Marder parts. Some 4–6 test models of a 120mm mortar on a Marder chassis where build and at least one is in use as a firefighting vehicle at the WTS Meppen. Tests with a AAA tank where performed but the high weight of the system resulted in a switch to the heavier Standardpanzer chassis, resulting in the Gepard AAA system. At least one first or second generation prototype was equipped with the 110mm artillery rocket system that later became the truck-mounted LARS system.
Kunduz Province, killing and wounding scores. Since then, the Marders have been involved in heavy fighting several times. The vehicles proved to be extremely useful and were praised as a great tactical asset by German troops: "Thank God (...) the Marders came and held down the enemy", a German Panzergrenadier said when his whipsawed unit was relieved by forces employing Marder IFVs . However, the crews were subject to great physical stress as none of the vehicles had been equipped with air conditioning
systems.
In June 2011, A German Marder was destroyed near Kunduz by a 200kg IED, killing one soldier and injuring five others.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
infantry fighting vehicle
Infantry fighting vehicle
An infantry fighting vehicle , also known as a mechanized infantry combat vehicle , is a type of armoured fighting vehicle used to carry infantry into battle and provide fire support for them...
operated by the German Army
German Army
The German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
as the main weapon of the Panzergrenadier
Panzergrenadier
is a German term for motorised or mechanized infantry, as introduced during World War II. It is used in the armies of Austria, Chile, Germany and Switzerland.-Forerunners:...
e (mechanized infantry) from the 1970s through the present day. Developed as part of the rebuilding of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
's armoured fighting vehicle
Armoured fighting vehicle
An armoured fighting vehicle is a combat vehicle, protected by strong armour and armed with weapons. AFVs can be wheeled or tracked....
industry, the Marder has proven to be a successful and solid infantry fighting vehicle
Infantry fighting vehicle
An infantry fighting vehicle , also known as a mechanized infantry combat vehicle , is a type of armoured fighting vehicle used to carry infantry into battle and provide fire support for them...
design. While it does include a few unique features, such as the fully remote machine gun on the rear deck, it is overall a simple and conventional machine with rear exit hatch and side gun ports for mounted infantry to fire through. Its successor, the Puma
Puma (IFV)
The Puma is a German infantry fighting vehicle, the mass production has started on the 6th July 2009. It will replace the aging Marder IFVs, from 2010 through 2020. Governing company is PSM Projekt System Management, a joint venture of Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Rheinmetall Landsysteme. The Puma is...
, is under development.
Around 2,100 were taken into service by the German Army in the early 1970s, but the vehicle in its German variant was not sold to any foreign militaries. As the German Army began to retire older vehicles, the Chilean government agreed to acquire 200 Marders; the government of Greece is considering the purchase of 450 retired vehicles. Argentina uses a simplified and locally produced variant, the VCTP, and has a number of vehicles based on that platform constructed by Henschel and built by TAMSE.
Development
Development of the Marder ran from January 1960, when the first development contracts were issued, to 7 May 1971, when the first production vehicles were given to the German army.The vehicle was intended to be an improvement over the Schützenpanzer Lang HS.30
Schützenpanzer Lang HS.30
The Schützenpanzer Lang HS.30 was a German infantry fighting vehicle developed during the 1950s. It was a Swiss Hispano-Suiza design, with a Rolls-Royce engine. After some early mechanical problems only some 2000 were built of the 10,000 planned...
. The main requirements were:
- A capacity of 12 infantrymen.
- A more reliable 20 mm cannon.
- The infantry must be able to fight from within the vehicle or dismounted.
- Protection from nuclear, biological and chemical weapons.
Initially development contracts were awarded to two groups of companies the Rheinstahl group (Rheinstahl-Hanomag
Hanomag
Hanomag was a German producer of steam locomotives, tractors, trucks and military vehicles. Hanomag first achieved international fame by delivering a large number of steam locomotives to Romania and Bulgaria before World War I....
, Ruhrstahl, Witten-Annen, Büro Warnecke) and the second group comprising Henschel Werke and the Swiss MOWAG
MOWAG
MOWAG is a Swiss company which develops, designs and produces armoured vehicles for military applications in both land-only and amphibious configurations. These vehicles have gross vehicle weights ranging from 9t to 30t. More than 12,000 armoured wheeled vehicles of the type Piranha, Eagle and DURO...
company. This resulted in the production of seven prototype vehicles. A second set of eight prototype vehicles were built between 1961 and 1963. Development priority was then switched for a while to the development of the Jagdpanzer 90 mm Kanone.
In 1967, after military requirements were finalized, a third and final set of ten prototypes were built. Final development work was completed by the Rheinstahl group, and 10 pre-production vehicles were built and completed troop trials with the German army between October 1968 and March 1969. In May 1969, the vehicle was officially named the "Marder" and in October Rheinstahl was chosen as the prime contractor.
The first production Marder 1 was handed to the German army on 7 May 1971. Production of the vehicle continued until 1975, with 2,136 vehicles being completed.
In 1975 the Milan missile was first adapted to be fired by commander from his open hatch, and between 1977 and 1979 Milan missiles were fitted to army vehicles.
A number of upgrade programs were carried out, that included fitting night vision equipment and a thermal imager, as well as an upgraded ammunition feed to the 20 mm cannon.
Around 1985 the designation was changed to Marder-1 (until then it was simply Marder) since a follow-up IFV was under construction. Since the new vehicle should be the partner of the Leopard-II just like Marder was the companion to the Standardpanzer/Leopard I, it was named Marder-2 and the older vehicles re-designated.
The A3 upgrade program began in 1988, with Thyssen-Henschel being awarded a contact to upgrade 2,100 Marder 1 A1/A2 series vehicles to A3 standard at a rate of 220 a year. The first upgraded vehicles reached the German army on 17 November 1989. The modification package included:
- Improved armour weighing 1,600 kg intended to protect against the 30 mm 2A42 cannon on the Russian BMP-2BMP-2The BMP-2 is a second-generation, amphibious infantry fighting vehicle introduced in the 1980s in the Soviet Union, following the BMP-1 of the 1960s....
. The armour also provided additional protection against cluster bomblets. - The hatches over the infantry compartment were re-arranged.
- Suspension was reinforced, a new braking system was installed, the gearbox adjusted. The heating system was replaced with a water based heating system.
- Turret was reconfigured.
- Total weight is now 35,000 kg.
Description
BMP-2
The BMP-2 is a second-generation, amphibious infantry fighting vehicle introduced in the 1980s in the Soviet Union, following the BMP-1 of the 1960s....
and the development of top attack cluster bomblets.
The Marder is a relatively conventional design, with the driver sitting at the front left side of the hull with the engine to his right. The driver has three day periscopes mounted in a hatch that opens to the right. The center periscope can be replaced by a passive night vision device. Behind the driver is a seat for a single infantry man. In early version of the Marder this infantry man had a hatch which opened to the right and a periscope that could be rotated through 360 degrees, this hatch was removed in the 1A3 variant onwards.
In the center of the hull is the two man turret, which holds the commander on the right and the gunner on the left, both are provided with hatches. The commander has eight day periscopes for all round observation and the gunner has an additional three. The primary sighting system is the PERI-Z11 sight which has either 2x or 6x optical magnification. The sight can be replaced by a night vision device. To the rear of the turret is the troop compartment, which can hold six infantry men, sitting back to back facing outwards along the center of the hull.
The Marder is capable of fording in up to 1.5 meters of water unprepared, and can be fitted with a kit allowing it to ford water up to 2.5 meters deep.
The Marder is powered by an MTU MB Ea-500 six-cylinder liquid cooled diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
which develops approximately 600 horsepower
Horsepower
Horsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...
at 2,200 rpm. The cooling radiators are mounted at the rear of hull either side of the exit ramp. The engine is coupled to a Renk four speed HSWL 194 planetary gear box with four forward and two reverse gears. The transmission also provides steering and braking via a stepless hydrostatic unit which transmits power to two drive units mounted at the front of the hull. The vehicle carries 652 litres of fuel, giving it a road range of around 500 kilometers. Early Marders could achieve a road speed of 75 km/h in 4th gear, but the extra armour of later vehicles reduced this to 65 km/h.
The Marder is propelled by a Diehl track which can be fitted with rubber road pads. The drive mechanism consists of six rubber tyred road wheel with a drive sprocket at the front of the hull and an idler at the rear. Three return rollers are also fitted. The suspension is a torsion bar system, with additional hydrostatic shock absorbers fitted to the front two and last two road wheels.
Armament
Rheinmetall
Rheinmetall AG is a German automotive and defence company with factories in Düsseldorf, Kassel and Unterlüß. The company has a long tradition of making guns and artillery pieces...
MK 20 Rh202 autocannon
Autocannon
An autocannon or automatic cannon is a rapid-fire projectile weapon firing a shell as opposed to the bullet fired by a machine gun. Autocannons often have a larger caliber than a machine gun . Usually, autocannons are smaller than a field gun or other artillery, and are mechanically loaded for a...
mounted in the small two-man turret
Turret
In architecture, a turret is a small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle. Turrets were used to provide a projecting defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall in the days of military fortification...
which can fire either armour-piercing or HE rounds. Mounted coaxial
Coaxial
In geometry, coaxial means that two or more forms share a common axis; it is the three-dimensional linear analogue of concentric.Coaxial cable, as a common example, has a wire conductor in the centre a circumferential outer conductor and an insulating medium called the dielectric separating...
ly to the left of the cannon is a 7.62 mm MG3 machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
. The turret has 360 degree traverse, and can elevate from -17 degrees to +65 degrees at a rate of 40 degrees per second while traversing at a rate of 60 degrees a second. Early Marders up to and including version 1A1 had a second MG3 mounted on the rear deck in a remote controlled pod. Typically 1,250 rounds are carried for the 20 mm cannon, along with a further 5,000 rounds for the MG3.
On current models since version 1A2, a MILAN
MILAN
MILAN " is French and German for "kite bird") is a European anti-tank guided missile. Design of the MILAN started in 1962. It was ready for trials in 1971, and was accepted for service in 1972. It is a wire guided SACLOS missile, which means the sight of the launch unit has to be aimed at the...
anti-tank guided missile launcher can be attached to the turret to provide enhanced anti-armour capabilities. Typically six missiles are carried inside the vehicle.
There are four (two per side) gun ports which can be used by mounted infantry to provide additional fire against attacking infantry targets. Only Marder 1A1 and 1A2 had been equipped with this. Marder 1A3 and above do not have gun ports due to an extra layer of amour and outside storage boxes.
Six 76 millimeter diameter smoke grenade dischargers can create a visual and infra-red blocking smoke screen.
Variants
Bundeswehr
The Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities...
, the Marder 1A4 differs from the 1A3 only by the use of a cryptography
Cryptography
Cryptography is the practice and study of techniques for secure communication in the presence of third parties...
-capable radio-set. Newest version of the Marder is the Marder 1A5 with advanced mine protection. Only a small number of this variant is in service.
The Marder served as the basis for Thyssen-Henschel
Thyssen-Henschel
Thyssen Henschel was a German industrial firm and defense contractor. Its products include the TAM medium tank for Argentina, the Mexican Henschel APC and the Marder infantry fighting vehicle....
's medium tank design which became the TAM
TAM (tank)
The Tanque Argentino Mediano , or TAM, is the main battle tank in service with the Argentine Army. Lacking the experience and resources to design a tank, the Argentine Ministry of Defense contracted German company Thyssen-Henschel...
for Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. A simplified version of the Marder is also employed as an infantry fighting vehicle, mortar carrier and rocket launcher by the Argentinian Army, realising most of the versions originally planned for the Bundeswehr and later abandoned due to costs and/or the availability of cheap alternatives like the M106 mortar carrier. The Marder is also used as a carrier for the Roland
Roland (air defence)
The Roland is a Franco-German mobile short-range surface-to-air missile system. The Roland was also purchased by the U.S. Army as one of very few foreign SAM systems....
air defence system. The Kanonenjagdpanzer
Kanonenjagdpanzer
The Kanonenjagdpanzer 4 - 5 was a German Cold War tank destroyer equipped with a 90mm anti-tank gun, which remained from the outphased M47 Patton tanks...
and Raketenjagdpanzer 2
Raketenjagdpanzer 2
The Raketenjagdpanzer 2 or Raketenjagdpanzer SS-11 was a German tank destroyer employed from 1967 to 1982 and equipped with Nord SS.11 guided anti tank missiles...
started development as part of the Marder family but where realised based on the second batch of prototypes using different engines etc. The Kanonenjagdpanzer build for Belgium are a hybrid between the original Bundeswehr version and Marder parts. Some 4–6 test models of a 120mm mortar on a Marder chassis where build and at least one is in use as a firefighting vehicle at the WTS Meppen. Tests with a AAA tank where performed but the high weight of the system resulted in a switch to the heavier Standardpanzer chassis, resulting in the Gepard AAA system. At least one first or second generation prototype was equipped with the 110mm artillery rocket system that later became the truck-mounted LARS system.
- Marder 1 (1971–)
- Marder 1 with Milan: a Milan launcher was fitted to all Marders between 1977 and 1979.
- Marder 1 A1(+) (1979–1982): dual feed for 20 mm cannon enabling choice of ammunition, night vision equipment including image intensifiers and a thermal imager. Infantry capacity reduced to five. Applied to 674 vehicles between 1979 and 1982.
- Marder 1 A1(-) (1979–1982): as A1(+) but without thermal imager. 350 vehicles upgraded to this standard.
- Marder 1 A1A3: a Marder A1 with SEM 80/90 cryptographic radios.
- Marder 1 A1A as 1 A1 but without any passive night vision equipment. 1,112 vehicles upgraded to this standard.
- Marder 1 A1A4: a Marder A1A with SEM 80/90 cryptographic radios.
- Marder 1 A1A2: a converted Marder 1 with A1 turret and A2 chassis
- Marder 1 A1A5: a Marder A1A2 with SEM 80/90 cryptographic radios.
- Marder 1 A2 (1984–1991): Between 1984 and 1991, all German Marder 1's were upgraded to A2 standard, this included substantial modification of the suspension, fuel tanks, cooling system and water-jet cleaning system. Additionally a new sighting system was installed. The infrared search light equipment was removed, and all vehicles were fitted with thermal imagers except for the 674 A1(+) vehicles, which already had them.
- Marder 1 A2A1: a Marder 1 A2 with SEM 80/90 cryptographic radios.
- Marder 1 A3 (1988–1998)
- Marder 1 A4: a Marder 1 A3 with SEM 93 cryptographic radio.
- Marder 1 A5 (2003–2004): Additional anti-mine armor and completely remodeled interior in order to avoid blast and shock injuries to the crew when hit by a mine. Applied to 74 Marder 1 A3s only.
- Marder 1 A5A1 (2010-2011): Equipped with air conditioning system, jammer for IED-protection and multi-spectral camouflage. In December 2010 ten vehicles were brought to this standard, further 25 will be upgraded til August 2011.
Combat service
With the first unit delivered in Summer 1971, the Marder IFV remained untested in combat for 38 years until July 2009 when they defended a German combat outpost against the Taliban in Chahar Dara district of Afghanistan'sAfghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
Kunduz Province, killing and wounding scores. Since then, the Marders have been involved in heavy fighting several times. The vehicles proved to be extremely useful and were praised as a great tactical asset by German troops: "Thank God (...) the Marders came and held down the enemy", a German Panzergrenadier said when his whipsawed unit was relieved by forces employing Marder IFVs . However, the crews were subject to great physical stress as none of the vehicles had been equipped with air conditioning
Air conditioning
An air conditioner is a home appliance, system, or mechanism designed to dehumidify and extract heat from an area. The cooling is done using a simple refrigeration cycle...
systems.
In June 2011, A German Marder was destroyed near Kunduz by a 200kg IED, killing one soldier and injuring five others.