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TL;DR: A Marder 1A3 equipped with a two-man turret that houses a 30mm autocannon.
History:
Getting infantry into combat zone in a timely manner is necessary when it comes to warfare. Even more necessary is making sure that infantry are not exhausted or killed before getting into a combat zone. The need for motorized troop transports was felt all the way back in WW1, however, it wasn’t until after WW2 that development on purpose built armored troop transports started to see any meaningful traction. These troop transports would not only transport troops but assist them in removing enemy troops as well. Many nations began development on similar concepts at the same time. The French developed the AMX-10P, the Soviets developed the BMP-1, the Americans developed the M113; the list goes on and on. West Germany was one such nation. From 1960 to 1971, development on the Marder was underway. The first production vehicles would be handed over from Rheinmetall to the Bundeswehr on May 7th of 1971. The vehicle would enter service and see many upgrades over its service life, one of which was the Marder 1A3, which improved protection against autocannon fire. Eventually, however, the need to replace the Marder series was felt, which meant that Rheinmetall needed to find someone else to buy their Marders, which meant it was export time. Customers could simply buy standard Marder 1A3s, however, for those who wanted a bit more firepower at the expense of an ATGM, KUKA, in cooperation with Rheinmetall produced the Marder M12, also called KUKA M12 or Marder MK 30, a Marder 1A3 fitted with Rheinmetall’s E4 turret which housed a stabilized 30mm Mauser MK 30-2 autocannon. The Marder M12 was also offered to the Bundeswehr as an interim solution while the Marder’s replacement was being developed. The Bundeswehr took KUKA up on this offer and acquired at least one vehicle for testing, which was given a license plate and German markings. Unfortunately, nothing came of this. Later on, KUKA’s Marder M12 would enter Switzerland’s Schützenpanzer 2000 Program alongside vehicles like the CV9030 and Warrior 2000, however, it was rejected as it had failed to keep pace with the Leopard 2 during trials. To this day, no one has adopted the Marder M12.
Place In War Thunder:
Many were happy to see the PUMA make its way into War Thunder, however, its fantastic protection, mobility, and autocannon made the vehicle far too overpowered for its original 8.3 BR, which led to it eventually becoming a 9.3 vehicle. This change created a gap between 8.0 and 9.3 in which Germany does not have an IFV and while the Marder 1A3 will perform just fine until you get your hands on the PUMA, the 20mm autocannon leaves a lot to be desired. The Marder M12 could fill that gap and provide a much smoother transition to the PUMA. It has the same armament as a PUMA, however, its protection and mobility are the same as the Marder 1A3’s. Playstyle would be similar to the PUMA’s, however, your worse mobility and paper thin armor would force you to play with a bit more caution. Your turret is also manned by two people and you have no blowout panels. The best place for the Marder M12 would, again, be in the tech tree, filling the IFV gap between 8.0 and 9.3, however, considering that it was never adopted by anyone, it could easily be an event reward or a premium.
One last thing to note. When Switzerland trailed the Marder M12, they replaced the 7.62mm MG with a 7.5mm MG. This could potentially give it enough reason to be added to the Swedish tech tree under the Swiss flag as that specific variant of the Marder M12 was exclusive to Switzerland. I encourage anyone willing to make a suggestion for this vehicle in the Other Nations section.
Specifications:
Armament: 30mm Mauser MK 30-2 and 1x 7.62mm MG
Dimensions: 6.79m, 3.24m, 2.98m (L,W,H)
Weight: 34100kg
Armor: Same as Marder 1A3 in-game
Crew: 3
Ammunition: Same as PUMA in-game
Speed: 65~kph
Horsepower: 591hp
Pictures:
Side View:During the Schützenpanzer 2000 Program:Page From Nowa Technika Wojskowa 2000-11:
Sources:
Below The Turret Ring: September 2017
https://weaponsandwarfare.com/2020/07/21/spz-marder/
Nowa Technika Wojskowa 2000-11
Chronik Panzergrenadierbataillon 52 1996
Jane’s International Defense Review 1997-09
