The agreement between Athens and Berlin regarding the exchange of BMP1 infantry fighting vehicles (former East German origin) with the also most modern German (80s) MARDER is considered beneficial and important for our country.
From the initial number of BMP1 we have distributed about 180 in recent years in Iraq and Egypt, while in Greece we maintain the rest on two islands (mainly) in the eastern Aegean, as well as some in the mainland (110-130 in total).
Most officers stress that BMP1 should have been replaced yesterday. It is noted that in 2004 during the training of infantry lieutenants in the VIII Infantry Division / ZE Epirus, two lieutenants lost their lives during training (due to a very important technical error), while there were also injured in the tragic event.
The BMP1s that we will send to Germany will be forwarded through Poland to western Ukraine, and will be integrated into the forces of the Ukrainian army in Donbas. The Ukrainians know how to handle them, while due to the equipment of the former Soviet Union there is a line for the production of spare parts in the country. Greece had and still has big problems for their maintenance, and until recently we received spare parts from the Czech Republic, but with the complete Westernization of the Czech army, this “artery” was closed.
All NATO armaments seek to no longer have Soviet / Russian weapons, which are inefficient, and therefore need to be replaced. This is happening fast in the countries of the former Warsaw Pact, which have now joined NATO. Of course, adjustments should also be made to the motorized infantry units of the Cyprus National Guard (which has hypertrophic former Soviet armaments). It is urgent to start transporting these BMP1s to Ukraine, because the situation will get much worse in the east of the country in the coming weeks.
We have mounted Slovak ZU-23 guns on some of our BMP1s.
For the arrival of MARDER at the end of the decade 2000-2009, relevant studies had been done by the Infantry Directorate of the General Staff, but also at the Infantry School in Chalkida, in collaboration with the Cavalry / Armor Directorate, but due to the economic crisis then the interest in their supply did not proceed. The MARDERS combine and cooperate very well with the various categories of LEOPARD type tanks, which are equipped with our four armored brigades of the XXTH Division (in Litochoro, Xanthi, Alexandroupoli and Komotini). MARDER can not be transported directly to Ukraine, because the Ukrainians do not know how to handle them.
According to information of the signatory, the MARDERs will most likely be deployed in the brigades of the two motorized divisions of Alexandroupolis (XIM / K MPZ and Didymoteicho (XVI M / K MPZ) in Evros from Feres to the north of the prefecture, while the similar M113 islands In other words, our islands will have American infantry fighting vehicles, while MARDER will be based in Evros.
The arrival of MARDER is a positive move, while in the context of modernization the best option is to upgrade the tanks to LEO2A7 together with MARDER as well as to purchase the quite advanced technology of German-made LYNX armored vehicles (for which even the Americans are interested) .
