Marder is a German infantry fighting vehicle operated by many countries from the 1960s through the present day.

Overview

Developed as part of the rebuilding of Germany's armored 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 machinegun 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.

The goverment of Greece (as of 2005) is in negotiations with the German army for the purchase of 500 Marder vehicles. The vehicles were previously used by the German army and are to be retired.

Specifications

• Crew: 9, including dismount infantry
• Weight: 33.5 tons
• Max Speed: 65 km/h
• Range: 460 km/h
• Powerplant: 600 hp

Armament

Primary armament is the 20mm autocannon mounted in a small turret mid-mounted on the hull. On current models, there is often a MILAN anti-tank guided missile launcher mounted on the turret to provide enhanced anti-armor capabilities.

Secondary armament is a 7.62mm machinegun mounted on the rear deck in a fully remote control housing. The weapon is controlled by a member of the infantry squad within the hull.

There are four (two per side) gun ports which can be used by mounted infantry to provide additional fire against attacking infantry targets.

Variants

The Marder 1A3 is the current version of this system, and is in service with the German Bundeswehr. Newest Version of the Marder is the Marder 1A5 with advanced mine protection. But only a small number is in service. The Marder served as the basis for Thyssen-Henschel's medium tank design which became the TAM for Argentina.