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Global defence contractor Rheinmetall has announced that it will deliver an additional 20 refitted Marder fighting vehicles to Ukraine at the request of the German government.
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The announcement follows an agreement in March for the delivery of the first batch of 20 Marder IFVs to Ukraine by the prime contractor on behalf of the German government, with a further 20 provided from Bundeswehr stockpiles.
According to the prime contractor, they can deliver 10 of the systems per month. The systems are “overhauled” Marder 1A3s, formerly in use by the German Bundeswehr and being restored by Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH.
An additional 20 units from the most recent agreement are scheduled for delivery over the coming months, with the value of the May contract valued in the low €2 million digit range.
According to the contractor, the delivery of Marders to Ukraine is part of a larger modernisation program for NATO partners.
“Under the German government’s ‘Ringtausch’ program, Greece will also be receiving 40 Marder IFVs. These, too, are to be shipped this summer. The ‘Ringtausch’ is a multilateral equipment exchange program designed to support Ukraine’s war effort in the face of Russian aggression,” a Rheinmetall spokesperson confirmed.
“In cooperation with Germany’s European neighbours and NATO partners, Soviet-era heavy equipment is being transferred to Ukraine in exchange for surplus Western-made systems.
“Rheinmetall is taking part in various ‘Ringtausch’ exchanges involving the armed forces of Greece, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Slovenia.”
In May, the contractor confirmed that it had signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Ukrainian state-owned defence group Ukroboronprom.
The cooperation agreement is expected to strengthen Ukraine’s defence industry and allow the creation of joint defence technology capabilities to reside in Ukraine from mid-July this year.
In addition, the agreement features the capacity for comprehensive transfer of technology and short-term delivery of military equipment from Germany, according to a public statement made by Rheinmetall on 13 May.
Rheinmetall chief executive Armin Papperger said Rheinmetall is working closely with the German government, assuring that help reaches Ukraine as quickly and efficiently as possible.
“Meeting Ukraine’s urgent needs in its fight for freedom and democracy as quickly as possible is a matter of central importance to us at Rheinmetall,” he said.
“Thanks to its expertise and capabilities, Rheinmetall has what it takes to be a valuable and powerful partner to Ukraine both in the short term and in the long run.
“We are pleased to have Ukroboronprom, led by Yuriy Husyev, as a very capable and trustworthy partner at our side.”
