According to journalistic sources, in the coming days the Ministry of National Defense will receive five more Marder armored fighting vehicles, which will strengthen the armored units in the 4th Army Corps.
The Marder TOMAs are certain to further upgrade our deterrent power in Evros, since 2 of our Armored Brigades, for example in Alexandroupoli and Komotini, will now have these TOMAs and indeed without the slightest financial burden.
The Marder can sail in up to 1.5 meters of water as is and can when kitted up to 2.5 metres.
The main armament is the 20mm Rheinmetall MK 20 Rh202 autocannon, which is mounted in the small two-man turret and can fire either armor or HE rounds. Coaxially mounted to the left of the cannon is a 7.62mm MG3 machine gun.
The turret has a 360-degree traverse and can be elevated from -17 degrees to +65 degrees at a rate of 40 degrees per second while traversing at a rate of 60 degrees per second. Typically, 1,250 rounds are carried for the 20 mm gun, along with another 5,000 rounds for the MG3.On models from version 1A1A, a MILAN guided missile launcher can be attached to the turret to provide improved anti-armor capabilities. Typically, four missiles are carried inside the vehicle. At the same time Ukraine will also receive more Marder IFV's.
The German Ministry of Defense had commissioned the Rheinmetall company to prepare 20 MARDER TOMES for transfer to Ukrainian territory.
Information states that the German TOMAs will be delivered by the end of July.
Rheinmetall has also offered to send another 60 MARDER to Kiev, but this requires preparation first.
Information from Israel about the release of 150 Abrams tanks from the US
According to Israeli expert Dana Levi, "the US is reportedly planning to transfer to Greece 300 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and 150 M1A2 Abrams tanks, as well as hundreds of military equipment systems."
We do not know more details, we are simply waiting for confirmation or denial from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, on this issue which will of course be examined after the elections, but perhaps even earlier due to the acting Minister of Defense, Mr. Stefanis, (former A/GES) who is a deep connoisseur of issue, while maintaining open channels with the US.
However, these tanks will be in "where is, as is" condition.
If and as long as we say, this information becomes a reality at some point, we emphasize that the operational benefit that the armored weapon would have from the supply of used Abrams is very great.
The reason naturally concerns the withdrawal of the older M-48 MOLF tanks, and the simultaneous movement of the Leo 1A5s to the Eastern Aegean.
Here, of course, the Turkey factor comes into force (especially after the appointment of Hakan Fidan to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs), and Ankara's plans for the demilitarization of our islands, which unfortunately indirectly silence some of our allies.
But since history always punishes, we will dare to make a prediction, saying that no Prespa-type agreement will be implemented in the Aegean, both because no political force in Greece will be able to "lift" it, and because inside Turkey we may have unexpected developments, either with Erdogan's health, or due to external interventions that require the Turks to stay "within their borders" in general, following the Treaty of Lausanne that buried the Ottoman Empire once and for all.
