Rheinmetall has restored 16 Marder IFVs for Ukraine but does not have the government permission to export them

The German Rheinmetall Defense has restored 16 Marder infantry fighting vehicles.

This is reported by the tagesschau.

Rheinmetall is ready to ship this equipment to Ukraine. The company has started restoring another 14 Marders and is ready to put another 70 units of this type of armored vehicle into service.

However, the supply process is still blocked by the German government, which does not issue export licenses to the enterprise.

The German government is hiding behind a non-public and outdated political agreement between NATO countries. Previously, the member states of the alliance decided among themselves not to send Western models of tanks and BMPs to Ukraine. However, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have tracked armored personnel carriers with weapons since a while ago. These are the M113 and Spartan vehicles, which were sent to Ukraine by various countries.

Meanwhile, German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht continues to highlight the so-called “agreements”.

“No country has yet delivered Western-style armored personnel carriers or main battle tanks, and we have agreed with our partners that we will not do it alone,” Lambrecht said.

Dmytro Kuleba, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, expressed his disappointment with the German position.

Disappointing signals from Germany while Ukraine needs Leopards and Marders now — to liberate people and save them from genocide. Not a single rational argument on why these weapons can not be supplied, only abstract fears and excuses. What is Berlin afraid of that Kyiv is not?

— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) September 13, 2022

“Disappointing signals from Germany while Ukraine needs Leopards and Marders now — to liberate people and save them from genocide. Not a single rational argument on why these weapons can not be supplied, only abstract fears and excuses. What is Berlin afraid of that Kyiv is not?,” the Ukrainian head of diplomacy said.

The Marder is an infantry fighting vehicle operated by the German Army as the main weapon of the Panzergrenadiere (mechanized infantry) since the 1970s.

The sealed hull is welded from different kinds of up 30 mm thick armor-clad sheets, capable of protecting the front from 20 mm and 25 mm bullets from a distance of 200 m, and from the sides – from shrapnel and small 7.62 mm arms.

The capacity of the car is 10 people, including three crew members, two of whom (commander and gunner) are in the turret, and the driver mechanic in front of the hull on the left (in the course of movement). The warhead is located in the middle of the hull.

The IFV is armed with a 20mm caliber Rheinmetall cannon and a 7.62-mm MG3 machine gun paired with it, mounted on a gun carriage above the double turret. The Rh 202 gun is loaded with 20×139 mm cartridges. Another 7.62-mm MG3A1 machine gun is located in a remote-controlled turret above the rear troop compartment.