18 October 2022

Ukraine conflict: Greece receives first Marder 1A3 IFVs from Germany

by Sonny Butterworth

Germany has delivered the first six of 40 Marder 1A3 IFVs (shown here in service with the German Army) to Greece in exchange for the latter's transfer of 40 of its BMP-1 armoured vehicles to Ukraine. (Rheinmetall Landsysteme)

Greece received the first six Marder 1A3 tracked infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) from the German government on 17 October as part of a series of agreements to transfer 40 of the IFVs to the Hellenic Army in exchange for Greece supplying 40 of its BMP-1 tracked IFVs to Ukraine.

Greek Minister for National Defence Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos said in a statement on 14 October that Greece was scheduled to take delivery of 10 Marders around 21 October. The statement was in response to a parliamentary question submitted on 5 October by member of parliament George Tsipras on the timeline for the exchange agreement with Germany and raising concerns that the transfer of Hellenic Army materiel to Ukraine would result in defence capability gaps.

According to Panagiotopoulos, the Marders are being delivered to Greece under a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by the Hellenic Ministry of National Defence and the German Federal Ministry of Defence on 16 September. Under the terms of the MOU, Germany will cover the costs of transporting the Marders to Greece and will also furnish ammunition for the vehicles' 20 mm MK 20 Rh 202 cannons and spare parts, as well as provide training for Greek crews. A further batch of 10 vehicles was expected to arrive in Greece by the end of November. Janes understands that all the Marders supplied to Greece will originate from Rheinmetall's stocks of surplus vehicles.

Greece received the first six Marder 1A3 tracked infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) from the German g...

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