The modernization of the German Marder infantry fighting vehicles announced last year is in full swing. Yesterday, November 5, the portal thedrive.com He reported that Rheinmetall has revealed the details of updating combat vehicles to the 1A5A1 level.
Rheinmetall has already received all the ordered upgrade kits. In addition, some of the machines have already completed a full cycle of work and are ready for further operation. During the modernization, the BMP received new engines with a capacity of 750 hp, MELLS ATGM, all-round vision systems, new thermal imagers and guidance systems, updated cooling and fire extinguishing systems.
BMP Marder 1A5A1
Image source: thedrive.com
Rheinmetall will supply 78 sets of equipment to the Bundeswehr under a contract worth €110 million signed last year. They are designed to repair and modernize 71 Marder infantry fighting vehicles, which will improve the capabilities of the equipment, as well as extend its service life.
The Marder, developed for the Bundeswehr in the 60s, was recognized as one of the best infantry fighting vehicles in the world. Therefore, when in 1996 the German Defense Ministry announced a competition for the development of a new car, engineers had to work hard to create a worthy replacement for the "veteran". It took Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Rheinmetall-Landsysteme twenty years to complete this task — that's how long it took to create the Puma combat vehicle and bring it to full combat readiness.
