DThe United States, Germany and France are increasing military support for Ukraine. For the first time, all three states are supplying the defenders against the Russian attack with infantry fighting vehicles and wheeled armored vehicles with large-calibre cannons. Government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said on Friday that all three countries had “a unified and common position that was also communicated within a few hours”. In addition, the federal government announced that Ukraine is now getting Patriot systems from Germany for air defense. According to the Ministry of Defence, this is “a feat of strength”. Because in addition to the two squadrons already stationed in Slovakia, another is to be set up in Poland, which is already pushing the thinned-out German air defense to its limits.
While Washington has promised older models of the Bradley infantry fighting vehicle and French President Emmanuel Macron shortly before that announced the delivery of the AMX-10RC wheeled armored vehicle, Germany will initially deliver 40 Marder infantry fighting vehicles. The Bundeswehr still has about 320 examples of this tracked vehicle in its active stocks, and dozens of vehicles are also stored by the defense technology industry, which could be delivered after processing.
The announcement by the chancellor’s office, combined with the demand to now also supply Leopard 2 main battle tanks, caused relief among the more active supporters of Ukraine. The Rheinmetall company drew the Ministry of Defense’s attention to its stocks immediately after the outbreak of war. In the autumn, Germany delivered 40 Marders to Greece as part of the so-called ring exchange, while Athens passed on 40 Soviet-designed infantry fighting vehicles to the Ukraine. At the time, Rheinmetall announced that it had “restored” a further 16 old Martens at its own expense, but was not given an export license. That should change now.
Germany will also take on the training of Ukrainian crews both on the Marder infantry fighting vehicle and on the German Patriot systems. Previously, Ukrainian operating personnel for the Panzerhaubitze 2000 and the Gepard anti-aircraft vehicle had been trained at Bundeswehr training grounds – the performance of the soldiers in combat is considered extraordinary. A larger maintenance facility was put into operation in Slovakia in December for the weapon systems delivered from Germany.
Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) had categorically refused the delivery of martens from Bundeswehr stocks until mid-December. On December 19, she literally said: “We will definitely not give up any martens from the Bundeswehr, because we need them.” Germany is helping with the ring exchange. According to Hebestreit, the Chancellery was already in talks with Washington at the time about the direct delivery of armored personnel carriers. According to Hebestreit, the minister was “naturally closely involved”. On Friday evening, the Ministry of Defense announced that Germany was supplying the Marder “from industrial or Bundeswehr stocks”.
We are talking about older versions of the Marder that are not yet equipped with a modern anti-tank guided missile. Nevertheless, the marten can also fight armored vehicles and tanks with its 20 millimeter on-board cannon. Unlike the modern Puma infantry fighting vehicle, however, the Marder’s cannon is not automatically stabilized while in motion. The Marder, designed in the 1960s, has been in use with the Panzergrenadiers of the Bundeswehr since the 1970s.
The so-called “iron pig” of this infantry force is currently considered more reliable than the newly designed Puma. Although the Puma is considered to be impressively powerful despite and because of various high-tech components, the Bundeswehr recently decided to provide combat companies with the Marder for the NATO rapid reaction force after 18 of 18 Pumas had failed on a training ground. In the armored infantry battalions of the Bundeswehr, the martens are considered strong, well armored and solid. At around 33 tons, the latest Marder variants 1A4 and 1A5 weigh half as much as a Leopard 2 main battle tank.
The Left politician Sahra Wagenknecht criticized the planned delivery and wrote that it was “completely irresponsible” to “escalate the situation in the conflict with Marder delivery instead of relying on diplomacy”. The Union opposition appreciated the decision, the CDU politician Roderich Kiesewetter said on Friday: “Nevertheless, Ukraine also needs Leopard battle tanks for the time being. Western main battle tanks can turn the tide. The sooner Leopards are in Ukraine, the faster Ukraine will regain full sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
The FDP politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmerman, who has been campaigning for the delivery of tanks to the Ukrainian defenders for months, said on Friday: “It is a great relief that the federal government and especially the chancellery are finally paving the way for tank deliveries to Ukraine. It’s very late, but not too late. Our mission worked.” Now Leopard tanks would have to follow.
