In the period 1966-1969, the German company "Rheinmetall AG" created the combat vehicle "Marder", and the Bundeswehr acted as the customer. The first models of BMP "Marder-1" was put into service in the German army in the late 1970s. Until the completion of the production work in 1975, released a little more than two thousand units. At that time, the Marder-1 infantry fighting vehicle was considered the most effective infantry fighting vehicle in Western Europe. The BMP had a good body armor and a high speed of movement over rough terrain, which allowed it to interact with Leopards-1 and 2.
BMP "Marder-1"
Case material "Marder-1" - is a sheet bronestal. The control compartment with a workplace for the driver is located to the left of the nose, and to the right is the engine transmission compartment. There can be one fighter behind the driver. Aft - landing compartment, the entrance to which through a ramp hydraulically.
At the top of the case in the center is a tower with a circular rotation on an electromechanical drive. In the same place of the commander and gunner operator. In the troop compartment there are periscopes and embrasures for firing small arms. On top of the tower is a 20-mm automatic cannon on the carriage and a 7.62-mm machine gun paired with it.
The BMP has a four-stroke six-cylinder V-shaped multi-fuel diesel engine from Daimler-Benz, with a capacity of 600 liters. with. and turbocharging. Combat and amphibious compartments are equipped with three fuel tanks with a total volume of more than 650 liters. This is enough for more than 600 km when driving on high-quality German autobahns. Hydraulic transmission "Renk" set in front of the engine. It has a hydrodynamic transformer and a hydrostatic gearbox, mounted in a single unit.
The planetary gearbox and the input torque converter have a reverse mechanism. The torque converter reduces the load on the transmission parts and assemblies, but does not have high efficiency. Due to its additional heat dissipation and reduction in power reserve, it turns on only when starting off, traveling off-road and when shifting gears, the other modes are blocked. Gearboxes are provided with four gears back and forth, shiftings are made using an electro-hydraulic drive.
BMP "Marder-1" has various modifications:
- "Marder-1A2", which has thermal imaging systems of observation, a system for stabilizing the instrument on two planes, improved tanks and a cooling system for the motor;
- "Marder-1A3" with enhanced body armor;
- "Marder-1A5" with increased protection against damage during mine explosions.
There are also intermediate modifications that differ mainly in their radio equipment.
In 2009-2010, the Bundeswehr was involved in some "Marder" in the fighting on the territory of Afghanistan.
BMP "Marder-2"
In 1985, the German Ministry of Defense announced among the programs with priority areas of the development of an infantry fighting vehicle, Marder-2. The need for combat vehicles was estimated at 2.5 thousand units. In 1988, Krauss-Maffei received an order confirmed by a contract for the development of a new model. At the beginning of autumn, in 1991, the first prototypes of the BMP with the name "Marder-2" were demonstrated.
The car is much different from the previous version. The driver was now located on the right in the front, and the commander of the BMP with the gunner-operator was located in a relatively spacious tower with the same structure, the first on the right side of the gun, and the second on the left. The landing compartment contained seven soldiers with full combat gear.
Doors with hinges are located almost on the machine axis, as a result, the doors prevented the troops from dismounting and returning to their places. The top of the hull above the landing compartment was equipped with additional hatches, which allowed the personnel of the landing to fire small arms without leaving the car.
The mass of the car reaches 42 tons, and this is already consistent with the mass of many main tanks. "Marder-2" was equipped with MTU diesel engine with a capacity of almost 1000 hp. The engine with hydromechanical transmission, has hydrokinetic gears, a planetary gearbox, accumulators and a turning mechanism. All this is a single unit, constantly monitored and regulated by a computer system.
In the undercarriage of BPM there are six pairs of wheels with double rubberized support rollers, and support rollers, and drive wheels located in front, as well as guide wheels located behind and rubber-metal tracks. The suspension is equipped with torsion bars.
Firefighters and anti-explosion systems, as well as filtering and ventilation installations, are installed on the “Marderakh-2”, which provide normal living conditions for the crew when the enemy uses weapons of mass destruction.
On the "Mardera-2" installed automatic guns Rh503 Mk35 / 50. The gun is equipped with barrels in the amount of two units, caliber 35 and 50 mm, quickly replaced with special need. In comparison with the "Marder-1" in the second was significantly enhanced firepower. All the mechanics associated with the automation of the gun, equipped with electric drives. The energy of powder gases is used only for firing projectiles.
Fire cannon could be conducted in single player mode, and the queue. Combat rate of fire was regulated in the range from 150 to 400 rounds per minute. The gun was loaded on both sides. Shooting was conducted with the help of specially developed unitary ammunition. These are stabilized in flight sub-caliber tracer and high-explosive fragmentation projectiles.
Additional armament in the Marder-2 infantry fighting vehicle is:
- The ATGM launcher of anti-tank guided missiles (Milan ATGM);
- Machine gun with a caliber of 7.62 mm;
- Ten smoke grenade launchers.
In order to successfully confront the enemy with heavily armored military equipment, third-generation anti-tank systems, the PARS-3MR, were specially installed on the Marderah-2. Anti-tank missiles of the specified complex have a laser guidance system with a tandem shaped cumulative warhead.
