21.07.2022 | Story

The search for the right concept

After examining the first vehicles, it gradually became clear to the Army general staff that the restrictive specifications would have to be dropped in order to enable a better IFV concept. The maximum height requirement of 1,890 mm was abandoned, while the crew strength was cut from twelve to ten troops.

In October 1962 development contracts for seven new prototypes of the section vehicle were signed with Ruhrstahl (Hanomag) and MOWAG. Henschel did not take part in the competition, as the company was concentrating primarily on the development of prototypes for the following variants: a gun-based tank destroyer, a mortar carrier, a field ambulance and a rocket launcher. Cooperation with MOWAG was terminated due to a patent dispute.

For the prototypes of the second generation, a new conceptual approach ensued. In order to make a larger rear hatch possible, in the RU vehicles the complete powerpack block was now transferred to the front of the vehicle, simultaneously eliminating the need for the coupling shaft, which was susceptible to malfunctions. A one-man turret, the DL-RH3, newly engineered by Rheinmetall, was now available for the vehicle; it was to be armed with a 20mm automatic cannon and coaxial machinegun.

Initially positioned to the left of the turret, in later prototypes the commander’s station was placed directly behind the driver, thus enabling integration of an antitank missile system to the left of the turret – specifically the Bofors antitank missile, or BANTAM, which was to be procured at a later date. The new concept resulted in a larger vehicle, whose weight increased to approximately 26 tonnes.

During field trials, the fact that the commander was not located in the turret was criticized, as this severely impaired his ability to see and lead. Because the torsion bar suspension vehicles handled poorly in off-road terrain, the RU 264 was equipped with a hydraulic-pneumatic suspension system. It was hoped that this would lead to improved driving performance. However, after five years of trials, testing was stopped owing to the inadequate reliability and stability of the suspension elements.

When the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) moved into the former Yugoslavia starting on 12 June 1999, the Marder infantry vehicle (the 1A3 version; Fig. 17) advanced side by side with the Leopard 2 main battle tank and the Luchs armoured reconnaissance vehicle. After this, the Marder IFV was utilized primarily in a security role, guarding mobile checkpoints as well as conducting area surveillance operations.

Here, its high mobility in the rough terrain of the Balkans, automatic cannon for security and surveillance operations, as well as its ability to transport security forces and additional equipment made the Marder a valuable asset. Other tasks that fell to the vehicle included convoy and patrol escort duties.

Starting at the beginning of 2003, the prevailing threat posed to the vehicles from landmines led to their replacement with the 1A5 version.

During the course of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) deployment in Afghanistan, the first Marder1A5A1 vehicles reached the German contingent at the end of 2007. In total, up to 35 Marder IFVs were deployed in Afghanistan in Mazar-e Sharif and (starting in 2009) Kunduz in order to reinforce the Quick Reaction Force, or QFR (Fig. 18). Here too the Marder IFV proved to be highly effective.

Its mere presence gave German troops and their allies a greater sense of security – and quickly earned the respect of the enemy. Owing to tactical considerations, the Marder IFV was often deployed in mixed formations together with wheeled vehicles like the Dingo. Besides security missions, the Marder IFV often served as an armoured reserve in flanking operations. Due to the bulky equipment, the fighting compartment generally carried only four soldiers at most. The open, occasionally broken terrain of northern Afghanistan suited the Marder IFV very well; the irrigation ditches and typical earthen walls around the compounds generally posed no obstacle.

The Marder IFV encountered problems only when the enemy enjoyed local superiority in ambush situations involving large IEDs and concentrated RPG fire. And then there was the terrible heat: in the rear of the fighting compartment, temperatures of up to 80°C were measured. This is why the fighting compartments of all 35 Marder IFVs deployed were equipped with air conditioning systems starting in 2010.