Waiting for the traffic lights to be released: Rheinmetall has finished the first "Marder" for Ukraine

The German armaments group Rheinmetall has been offering stored armored personnel carriers for use in Ukraine for months.

Waiting for the traffic lights to be released: Rheinmetall has finished the first "Marder" for Ukraine

The German armaments group Rheinmetall has been offering stored armored personnel carriers for use in Ukraine for months. Kyiv wants 100 "marders", but the federal government has not issued an export permit. Now Rheinmetall has the first vehicles ready for export.

Several "Marder" armored personnel carriers from the manufacturer Rheinmetall, which have been taken out of service by the Bundeswehr but are currently being modernized, are ready for use and could be delivered to the Ukraine immediately. "We are in the process of repairing 100 Marder infantry fighting vehicles, and the first vehicles are already ready," said Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall, to "Bild am Sonntag".

"When and where the martens are delivered is the decision of the federal government." 88 Leopard 1 and other Leopard 2 tanks are also in the depot for modernization. According to Pappberger's assessment, the Marder is still a powerful combat vehicle and is also used by the German armed forces - for example in Lithuania. "We have also repeatedly modernized the Marder over the years."

Due to the high demand for military equipment, Rheinmetall wants to increase capacities. "We are expecting a significant increase in sales of up to 20 percent per year and are now in the process of increasing our capacities," explains Pappberger.

"We will be working in multiple shifts at some locations. We can at least triple the production of ammunition within the next twelve months, and that of trucks can be doubled - because we can reactivate a lot of infrastructure from the Cold War very quickly." Despite the increased demand, there are no delivery shortages or bottlenecks.