Marder 1A3

Marder 1A3

SPz BMP-1

DF105

Marder 1A3

SPz BMP-1

DF105

Germany

V Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
8.0	8.0	8.0

Class:

Light tank

Research:105 000

Purchase:300 000

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Description

The Marder 1A3 is a rank V German light tank with a battle rating of 8.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update "Direct Hit". Improvement  to Marder A1-, 1A3 offers upgrades in protection and firepower, making it a formidable scouting vehicle at its BR.

General info

Survivability and armour

Smoke grenades

Creation of a smoke screen in front of the vehicle

Armourfront / side / back

Hull32 / 15 / 11

Turret25 / 15 / 15

Crew3 people

Visibility86 %

Players should be of note that Marders were IFVs and therefore they weren't designed to take hits from enemy tanks and as such they should not try to fight them frontally unless it is absolutely necessary. 

Armor

Marder 1A3's armour is best described as inconsistent. Sharing the same chassis as the previous model, base armor is extremely weak, consisting mostly of 11mm plates. 

However, unlike its predecessor, Marder 1A3 is equipped with add-on armor from the get go, considerably increasing its survivability against machine guns and even some autocannons. 

Marder 1A3s upper frontal plate can now shrug off even BMP-2s APDS rounds, something that was impossible for its predecessor. Its upper side armor is now resistant to .50 cal armor-piercing rounds, which is a considerable upgrade to its survivability.

Marder 1A3 receives a slightly different armor scheme just below a turret - in place of a heavily angled plate is now protrusion with less favourable angle and thin armor. There is also an almost flat strip of armor just below gunner and commander optics, that should be considered as a weak spot.

Crew 

With only three crew members available, the Marder can't afford to take any hits. Both commander and gunner sit side by side below the unmanned turret, protected by transmission and engine (similar to Merkava tanks). While that won't protect them from rounds with explosive filler or modern kinetic penetrators, it can negate shrapnel from older chemical and HESH rounds. 

The Driver's position is more exposed, albeit receiving a new redesigned hatch that significantly improves his protection. Enemy shells can still shatter on drivers' optics, sending shrapnel straight into the fighting compartment.

Armour type:

• High hardness rolled armour (hull front and roof)
• Rolled homogeneous armour (hull sides and rear, gun mount, cupola)

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	Add-on 8 mm (77°) Upper plate Add-on 32 mm (21-58°) Lower plate Base armor 11 mm (77°) Upper plate Base armor 32mm (21-58°) bottom	Add-on 4 mm (0°) Upper plate Base 15mm (33°) Upper plate Base 15mm (0°) Lower plate	11 mm (22°) Rear plate and hatch 5 mm (22°) Vents	Add-on 8 mm Base 11mm
Turret	Add-on 20mm (38°) Base front Base 11 to 20 mm (38°) Base front Base 11mm Gun mount	Add-on 20mm Base side Base 15mm Base side Base 11mm Gun mount	Add-on 20mm Base side Base 15mm Base side Base 11mm Gun mount	11 mm

Notes:

• Suspension wheels, tracks and torsion bars are 20 mm thick.
• Armored skirts are 5mm thick.

Mobility

Reverse gearbox

Forward and backward movement is possible at the same maximum speed

Speedforward / back

AB84 / 84 km/h

RB and SB76 / 76 km/h

Number of gears8 forward

8 back

Weight33.5 t

Engine power

AB1 145 hp

RB and SB600 hp

Power-to-weight ratio

AB34.2 hp/t

RB and SB17.9 hp/t

Even with extra add-on armor, the mobility of Marder 1A3 stays the same as its predecessor, allowing it to rush advantageous positions at the start of the battle or flank effectively. With a reverse gearbox, it can move backwards as fast as going forward, making disengaging from an enemy or retreating from unfavourable situations an easy task.

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)	Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse		Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	84	84	33.5	930	1,145	27.76	34.18
Realistic	76	76		531	600	15.85	17.91

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB2 834 → 4 514

RB3 279 → 5 223

SB4 173 → 6 647

Total cost of modifications88 100

145 400

Talisman cost2 100

Crew training86 000

Experts300 000

Aces1 200

Research Aces720 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

110 / 160 / 200 %

196 / 196 / 196 %

Modifications

Mobility	Protection	Firepower
Tracks Research: 3 600 Cost: 5 800 180 Suspension Research: 3 400 Cost: 5 500 170 Brake System Research: 3 400 Cost: 5 500 170 Filters Research: 7 600 Cost: 12 000 380 Transmission Research: 4 900 Cost: 7 900 250 Engine Research: 4 900 Cost: 7 900 250	Improved Parts Research: 2 300 Cost: 5 800 180 Improved FPE Research: 2 200 Cost: 5 500 170 Crew Replenishment Research: 7 600 Cost: 12 000 380 Smoke grenade Research: 4 900 Cost: 7 900 250	Horizontal Drive Research: 3 600 Cost: 5 800 180 20mm_rh202_AP_ammo_pack Research: 3 600 Cost: 5 800 180 NVD Research: 3 600 Cost: 5 800 180 Adjustment of Fire Research: 3 400 Cost: 5 500 170 Airstrike Research: 3 400 Cost: 5 500 170 Laser rangefinder Research: 3 400 Cost: 5 500 170 Elevation Mechanism Research: 7 600 Cost: 12 000 380 Artillery Support Research: 4 900 Cost: 7 900 250 Improved optics Research: 4 900 Cost: 7 900 250 20mm_rh202_APDS_ammo_pack Research: 4 900 Cost: 7 900 250

Since the Marder 1A3 comes stock with MILAN ATGMs, it should have no problems dispatching its enemies. Marder will probably be played as scout vehicle, meaning players focus should be on getting thermals. After that, mobility upgrades can be researched, as there is not much to improve in the firepower department. 

Armaments

Laser rangefinder

Reduces the error and increases the maximum measurable distance of the rangefinder

Night vision device

Improves visibility by enhancing natural light or active illumination.

Thermal imager

Allows to see thermal radiation in the infrared range day and night

Main armament

20 mm Rh202 cannon

Ammunition1 200 rounds

Belt capacity200 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate801 shots/min

Vertical guidance-17° / 65°

The Marder 1A3 is armed with a dual-feed Rh202 20 mm autocannon. This gun can also be found as a secondary weapon on the KPz-70 and Leopard 2K; the difference being it gets dedicated belts on Marder instead of being limited only to multipurpose stock belts. Rh202 has fantastic gun handling. Even though it is not equipped with a stabiliser, it's barely noticeable even when firing on the move, allowing it to successfully engage enemies without stopping at close range. With a great rate of fire (noticeably faster than 30 mm found on BMP-2s), it can shred light vehicles, low flying planes and helicopters to pieces in a matter of seconds. 

Even heavier tanks are not safe since it is able to disable their critical components with a well-aimed burst, crippling their main and secondary armaments and tracks, making them easy kills for its MILANs or more-heavily armed teammates. With 65° degrees of gun elevation, it can even work ad hoc as makeshift SPAAG. This is especially useful against helicopter rushes, which are common at the start of the round. Even planes are not safe when the Marder is around, since it is able to successfully engage low flying aircraft with enough practice. Rh202 operates on 200 round belts, Marder can take 6 of them in total and you can switch between different belts with ~1-second delay. An empty belt is reloaded after 8 seconds when Aced.

20 mm Rh202						Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	1,200 (200)	800	-17°/+65°	±180°	N/A	57.1	79.1	96.0	106.2	112.9	10.40	9.20	8.48	8.00
Realistic						35.7	42.0	51.0	56.4	60.0

Ammunition

• Default: HVAP-T · HEFI-TThe stock belt consists of APCRT and HEFI-T rounds in a ratio of 1:1. It works but can have problems scoring critical hits as half of the belt won't penetrate.
• DM51A1: HEFI-T · HEFI-T · HEFI-T · HVAP-TContains mostly HEFI-T rounds in a ratio of 3:1, should be used only against low flying planes and helicopters due to its explosive filler.
• DM43: HVAP-T · HVAP-T · HVAP-T · HEFI-TThis belt consists of APCRT and HEFI-T rounds in a ratio of 3:1. Should be only used as a stop gap solution until DM63 belts become available.
• DM63: APDS · APDS · APDS · HEFI-TThis should be the main belt of choice when engaging ground targets, it can penetrate most light vehicles Marder can face, though MBTs and heavy tanks will pose a problem even at close range. 

Penetration statistics
Belt	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
	10 m	100 m	500 m	1,000 m	1,500 m	2,000 m
Default	57	52	37	24	15	10
DM51A1	57	52	37	24	15	10
DM43	57	52	37	24	15	10
DM63	66	61	45	31	21	14

Ammo racks

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	5th rack empty	6th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
6	__ (+__)	__ (+__)	__ (+__)	__ (+__)	__ (+__)	__ (+__)	__

Additional armament

MILAN ATGM

Ammunition4 rounds

Belt capacity1 rounds

Fire rate5 shots/min

Vertical guidance-5° / 20°

Horizontal guidance-30° / 30°

Fire on the moveup to 5 km/h

The Marder 1A3 is armed with a MILAN ATGM launcher with SACLOS guidance. It's an older missile, lacking a tandem warhead. As composite and reactive armour is starting to become more common at this battle rating, its age starts to show. It is the main weapon of choice when engaging targets beyond 200 m and when engaging anything heavier than a light tank or SPAAG. The Marder only gets 4 of those, so firing them recklessly can leave it unable to dispatch heavier opponents. Frequent visits to capture points are a must in order to keep fighting. To fire them, the Marder needs to be going slower than 5 km/h, which can be disadvantageous against enemy tanks with stabilisers - players should make sure to distract the enemy first with the autocannon fire or make sure the enemy doesn't know at all from where the Marder will be striking. Also, players should be aware that the launcher can't depress as much as the autocannon - this is of utmost importance when fighting in hilly terrain. While it is possible to fire and hit an enemy, the missile needs a few seconds and distance to correct itself, making close-range shots impossible without considerable skill and practise. 

MILANs are guided in a SACLOS manner, meaning they follow the crosshair, making them much easier to use than older missiles such as SS.11 or Malyutkas.

The last thing to note about these is their limited range - just 2 km. Most of its engagements do happen inside this range, but on larger maps such as Maginot Line, it won't hurt checking enemy distance with the laser rangefinder before firing. As SACLOS missiles, they can be used with some success against ATGM helicopters hovering on the battlefield, but again, checking their range is necessary in order not to waste the few missiles it has.

MILAN missile				Reloading rate (seconds)
Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
4	±5°	N/A	N/A	13.00	11.50	10.60	10.00

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
		10 m	100 m	500 m	1,000 m	1,500 m	2,000 m
MILAN	ATGM	530	530	530	530	530	530

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Range (m)	Projectile Mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)	Ricochet
								0%	50%	100%
MILAN	ATGM	200	2,000	6.7	0.05	0.1	1,830	80°	82°	90°

Ammo racks

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	5th rack empty	6th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
4	__ (+__)	__ (+__)	__ (+__)	__ (+__)	__ (+__)	__ (+__)	__

Machine guns

7.62 mm MG3A1 machine gun (coaxial)

Ammunition4 400 rounds

Belt capacity200 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate1 200 shots/min

The Marder is armed with a MG3 machine gun, coaxial to the Rh202. While having a nice rate of fire, it is rifle-calibre and thus has very low penetration, useful only as a deterrent against low flying aircraft and helicopters and to clear obstacles in front of the vehicle. It is almost useless against enemy tanks, and only poses a threat to few open-top vehicles.

7.62 mm MG3A1
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	4,500 (1,000)	1,200	N/A	N/A

Usage in battles

Marder 1A3 is a pretty decent IFV for its rank, and great scout thanks to its thermals - something uncommon at its BR. 

Best strategy is to either use its mobility to rush advantageous positions near capture points in order to spot and counter enemy vehicles trying to cap, occasionally firing ATGM at high-value targets. 

Another good strategy is to go for flanks - most of the time, players will meet enemy light vehicles, and Marders autocannon shreds them like cheese, denying enemy flanking routes and funnelling them towards allied tanks. Players should save ATGMs for self-defence, since they will be away from capture points in this scenario and thus unable to rearm. That doesn't mean they can't strike high value targets such as top tier tanks which happen to drive into their sight line. 

If forced to CQC or brawl,players should stick to allies and support them. As soon as they see enemy tank fire, they can rush him and disable his gun and tracks, making him an easy target for your team mates.

Specific enemies worth mentioning:

AMX-30B2 BRENUS - Single handedly the most dangerous opponent Marder 1A3 can face in the frontal arc; resistant to DM63, equipped with ERA and APS that counters MILANs, armed with autocannon that can shred Marder 1A3 from the side to shreds. Lacks stabiliser, therefore players should force it to push them, or flank.

T-54/55, Type 59 and its variants - Resistant to DM63 not only from the front, but also the side.

Warrior - Armed with thermals and autocannon that can easily destroy Marder from the front.

Type 87 RCV - Faster than Marder, equipped with equally dangerous autocannon. 

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Excellent mobility
• One of the earliest vehicles to get thermals; great scout
• Can be used against helicopters and low flying aircraft
• Add-on armor increases its survivability against .50 cals and some autocannons

Cons:

• Armor still useless against larger guns and ATGMs
• Can't elevate its gun all the way up, presenting a blind spot against enemy aircraft 
• Lot of enemies are resistant to DM63, even from the side
• MILANs start showing their age

History

Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref></ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <references />. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under === In-game description ===, also if applicable).

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Marder 1A3 from live.warthunder.com.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the vehicles;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

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• topic on the official game forum;
• other literature.