Marder 1 A3 infantry fighting tank

The Marder was the first armored personnel carrier built in Germany after the Second World War. It replaced the HS 30. The marten enabled the rifle squad in the rear combat area to quickly mount and dismount through the open tailgate.

With its versatile armament, it could support the dismounted Panzergrenadiers in firefights and, in later versions, such as the 1 A3 version shown here, it could even take on main battle tanks.

The Marder also remained competitive through constant modernization. Whenever there were major technical or tactical changes, a change number was appended to the name. The version 1 A3 shown here was created in a wave of modernization that began in 1989 and only ended in 1998. The vehicle received storage boxes on the sides, which made it easier to transport equipment and thanks to which the appearance significantly differs from previous versions. Above all, the armor protection was significantly improved.

The Marder has been used in the Augustdorf PzGrenBtl 212 since 1972, and in the 1 A3 version shown here since 1992.