The German concern Rheinmetall will upgrade 30 Marder infantry fighting vehicles by September.

The armored vehicles will be transferred to other countries as part of a circular weapons exchange plan aimed to support Ukraine.

In total, Rheinmetall has the capacity to process up to 100 armored vehicles of this type.

Back in spring, the concern offered the government to arrange the sale of Marder IFVs decommissioned by the Bundeswehr. The government has not yet made the final decision.

“Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger informed the Minister of Economic Affairs Dr. Bernd Althusmann about the stage of work on Marder IFVs designated for the circular exchange. About 30 armored vehicles should be ready for handover by September 2022,” Rheinmetall’s statement says.

It is expected that Marder modification 1A3, produced in the 1970s and 80s, will be transferred to other countries. Those in turn will be able to supply their own weapons to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Rheinmetall is also ready to sell 88 ‘Leopard 1’ tanks.

Most likely, the German government will give the vehicles to Greece which will supply Soviet-made BMP-1 vehicles to Ukraine.

In June, Greece announced it will hand over about 20 or 30 BMP-1 units to Ukraine.

“At the moment we are working on exchanging a small number of BMP-1 vehicles, 20 to 30 units, for much more modern German-made vehicles. We help Ukraine and at the same time strengthen our own armed forces with newer combat vehicles,” the Greece Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said.

The sudden interest in Marder IFV was an unexpected stroke of luck for Rheinmetall. The German fighting vehicle is more than 50 years old and suddenly, due to the war in Ukraine, it’s in demand again.

The Greeks will be ready to give away their Soviet-era armored vehicles only when the German armored vehicles arrive in Greece. It may take until fall or winter.