BERLIN --- The new year 2024 begins with the training of Ukrainian armed forces members to become tracked vehicle drivers at the European Union 99Military Assistance Mission Ukraine. As a basis for further armored infantry training, Ukrainian soldiers have been learning to drive the Marder infantry fighting vehicle since the beginning of January with which they will then be deployed at the front.
Wave tracks, water holes, steps - the driving school area on a military training area in the middle of Germany offers future drivers of the Marder armored personnel carrier, the Dingo all-protection transport vehicle or the Wiesel weapons carrier, among others, many opportunities to learn how to use their vehicle. German military personnel are normally trained here. Now, however, the driving instructors are faced with members of the Ukrainian armed forces who are being trained for their use as drivers on the Marder armored personnel carrier. Around 100 vehicles of this type were delivered by the Bundeswehr and industry last year to support Ukraine in its fight against the aggressor Russia.
Train for what really counts on the front lines
Equipped with a 20mm machine cannon, the MILAN anti-tank system and an MG3 machine gun, the Marder has proven itself as a weapon system for the Panzergrenadiers since the 1970s. But the operational value of the Marder in combat depends primarily on how precisely the Ukrainian armored infantrymen can handle this complex weapon system. “Due to the short duration of training, we have to prioritize and train what really counts for the drivers at the front,” explains the training manager. For the participants, the two-week training course is primarily about gaining driving experience, on and off-road.
From theory to practice
In the first days of training, the future drivers should get to know the Marder: theory lessons and technology are on the roster. In an emergency, they must also be able to solve simple technical problems independently and respond correctly to error messages. Particular attention is paid to the Marder's emergency running systems, with which the vehicle can be operated even without electricity. In the simulator-based training, participants finally become familiar with the vehicle's controls and can practice various scenarios under safe conditions. It is then important to put the skills you have learned into practice on the road and off-road.
Practice until the final exam
In conventional driving lessons, the language mediators are particularly important because they have to translate the training staff's commands quickly and accurately while driving. The basic driving training of German Marder drivers takes place mainly “through Luke”. However, Ukrainian military personnel practice driving “under hatch” as soon as their level of training allows. Their view is severely restricted, and only the angle mirrors are available to the driver. But this is the only way he can be protected from fire in combat, as the driver's hatch is closed while driving. Day after day, the trainees practice using the vehicle until they finally have to prove their skills in the final exam.
From the driving instructor's cabin, the trainer can give commands and take control of the Marder at any time.
The driver training of Ukrainian soldiers also requires flexibility and commitment from the trainers with regard to the language and the training process. While some have already been trained on Soviet-designed armored personnel carriers such as the BMP 2, others have little experience with these vehicles. “Despite the different previous knowledge, we do our best to ensure that everyone has the same level of knowledge and approximately the same skills at the end,” explains one company teacher. Immediately afterwards, the drivers will learn the tactical basics for deployment as a Panzergrenadier group or platoon together with their comrades. Only a short time later they will return to the front and fight for their country as Panzergrenadiers.
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