The first “Marders” will be supplied in the first quarter of 2023, after the German Army has trained Ukrainian soldiers in their handling, the media added, citing government sources. Also, Olaf Scholz’s government is also planning to send more Gepard-type anti-aircraft armored vehicles to the Ukrainian Army, according to sources from “Der Spiegel”.
Berlin and Washington issued a joint statement announcing the decision to supply kyiv with combat vehicles for the first time, though they did not provide figures.
The Marder 1A3 is an infantry fighting vehicle (ICV) designed in the 1960s and produced in the late 1970s for the German Army of West Germany.
BREAKING: Germany will provide Marder infantry fighting vehicles to #Ukraine️. We’ll also join the US in supplying an additional Patriot air defense battery. @POTUS and @Bundeskanzler are determined to provide Ukraine with the support that’s necessary, for as long as needed. pic.twitter.com/FHak6m9Uw2
— Emily Haber (@GermanAmbUSA) January 5, 2023
Checking out the skies of Ukraine
After Russia faced increasing setbacks on the ground, it began systematic air attacks on critical infrastructure in Ukraine. in attacks that have disrupted the supply of electricity, water and heating to millions of people.
Manufactured by Raytheon, the MIM-104 Patriot is a surface-to-air missile (SAM) system initially developed to intercept high-flying aircraft. It was modified in the 1980s to focus on the new threat of tactical ballistic missiles, and proved effective against Russian-made Iraqi Scuds in the first Gulf War, the first time the system had been used in combat.
“Unlike the other Western systems that have been provided to Ukraine, (Patriot) has some anti-ballistic missile capabilities (depending on the type of missile being used)Karl Mueller, a political scientist at the RAND Corporation, told AFP. “If Russia were to acquire a significant number of ballistic missiles from Iran, most other Ukrainian air defense systems would not provide any protection against them,” he added.
Iranian Missile Defense
Patriot has proven effective in Saudi Arabia against Iranian-designed ballistic missiles fired from Yemen, and prime contractor Raytheon says the system has intercepted more than 150 ballistic missiles in combat since 2015.
When Russia invaded the country in February, Ukraine’s air defenses largely consisted of Soviet-era aircraft and SAM systems.which kyiv used effectively to resist Moscow’s air superiority.
NASAMS, from the United States and IRIS-T, from Germany
Ukraine has since managed to strengthen the defense of its skies. The United States provided NASAMS and Germany IRIS-T, two advanced systemswhile older equipment such as S-300 and HAWK systems and Stinger missiles have also been donated.
kyiv has used various systems to combat Moscow’s Shahed-136 cruise missiles and drones, but launchers for SAM systems and modern missiles – including NASAMS – are in short supply.
The goal of Ukraine’s international helpers is to build multi-layered air defenses for the country, consisting of low-, medium- and high-altitude systems that can protect against various threats.
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