Ukrainian servicemen arrive in Germany to master Marder IFV

The first group of servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have arrived in Germany to master Marder infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs).

It is reported by Deutsche Welle with reference to the dpa agency.

Ukrainian soldiers landed in Cologne on Thursday, January 26.

Their training on the Marder IFV is to begin in the near future.

It should be recalled that in a telephone conversation on January 5, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and US President Joe Biden agreed on transferring heavy military equipment to Ukraine.

Germany announced its readiness to supply Ukraine with Marder IFVs and Patriot air defense systems.

It stated about 40 Marder IFVs, as well as organizing training on these vehicles.

Plans of Germany foresee that 20 infantry fighting vehicles will arrive from the Bundeswehr, with another 20 being supplied from the Rheinmetall defense concern.

Subsequently, the former German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said that infantry fighting vehicles were to arrive by the end of March.

Marder IFV was created in the 60s by the German company Rheinmetall AG by order of the German Armed Forces. The first prototype was assembled in late 1969, and production of these vehicles continued until 1975.

The IFV is armed with a RH 202 20mm autocannon and a coaxial MG3 7.62mm machine gun paired, mounted on a carriage on top of a two-seat turret. The Rh 202 gun uses 20×139 mm shells.

The vehicle can accommodate 10 soldiers, of which three are crew members. The commander and gunner are seated in the turret, and the driver is in front of the hull on the left side. The fighting compartment is located in the middle of the IFV`s hull.