Marder IFVs, demining tanks, drone detectors: Germany’s new military aid package for Ukraine
Germany has reported on additional military assistance to Ukraine over the past week
Germany has handed over additional military assistance to Ukraine over the past week, including Wisent 1 armoured demining vehicles and a new batch of Marder infantry fighting vehicles.
The German military aid delivered to Ukraine in the week until 13 September includes:
- 20 Marder 1A3 infantry fighting vehicles with ammunition (in addition to 40)
- two Wisent 1 mine clearing tanks (six were delivered before)
The Wisent 1 is an armoured demining vehicle based on a modified hull of the Leopard 1 main battle tank with the turret removed. Its main task is to make passages in a minefield. It automatically marks out the mined area so that infantrymen can pass through it. Typically, these vehicles have a clearance width of 2.5 to 2.6 metres.
- one truck tractor train 8x8 HX81 (before: 50) and four semi-trailers (before: 41)
- five load-handling trucks 8x8 (before: 35)
- nine vehicles (trucks, minibuses, all-terrain vehicles) (before: 288)
- three Mercedes-Benz Unimog ambulances (before: 44)
- 3,000 18,510 rounds of 155-mm ammunition (before: 15,510)
- material for explosive ordnance disposal (from Bundeswehr and industry stocks);
- 1 Satcom surveillance system
- 20 reconnaissance drones RQ-35 HEIDRUN (before: 60)
- 2 mobile antenna mast systems (before: 47)
- 10 drone detection systems (before: 103)
- 1.5 million rounds of ammunition for firearms (before: 44.2 million)
In addition, the German government instructed Rheinmetall, a major arms manufacturer, to supply Ukraine with another 40 Marder infantry fighting vehicles.