The West Germans are one of the innovators of the infantry fighting vehicle concept. The Marder was the first such vehicle to see service in NATO from 1971. Named after the Marder ('marten' in English), a member of the weasel family, it is armed with a MG3 machine-gun and a 20mm Rh 202 auto-cannon to provide the panzergrenadiers with fire support, and can also mount the powerful Milan anti-tank missile system.