Marta

History

Marta is a Ukrainian 155 mm wheeled self-propelled artillery system developed as a shorter-barrel member of the Bohdana artillery family. The self-propelled configuration combines a 155 mm L39 weapon with a Mercedes-Benz Zetros truck chassis.

The program is associated with a German-funded order for 200 systems for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Agreements announced in December 2025 allocated approximately €750 million for the artillery project, and delivery of the Marta systems is planned for 2027.

The Marta concept emerged from Ukrainian work on a shorter-barrel Bohdana configuration intended to provide a lighter artillery system. Public reporting in September 2024 described plans for a Bohdana self-propelled system with a 39-caliber barrel, with MAN and Daewoo trucks then considered as possible chassis.

By December 2025, a related towed 155 mm artillery system carrying the Marta name had entered testing. Colonel Andriy Zhuravlev of the Ukrainian Rocket Forces and Artillery Command stated that its 39-caliber barrel allowed installation on a lighter carriage and transport by smaller vehicles. The report also noted that a self-propelled Bohdana with a 39-caliber barrel was planned. Details of the towed program were reported by Militarnyi.

In December 2025, Ukraine and Germany concluded agreements that included financing for 200 Bohdana self-propelled artillery systems. Reporting in 2026 linked approximately €750 million of German funding to the 200-system project.

At the Eurosatory 2026 defense exhibition in Paris, a representative of Ukrainian Armoured Vehicles confirmed that the German-funded Zetros-based system would use a 155 mm L39 barrel and carry the name Marta. The disclosure provided the first publicly reported name and major configuration details for this version. The announcement was covered by Defence Blog and UNITED24 Media.

In September 2026, a representative of the Kramatorsk Heavy Machine Tool Building Plant stated that the project was being implemented and that the 200 systems were scheduled for delivery in 2027. The representative described the design as intended to replace Western 155 mm artillery with shorter barrels as well as remaining Soviet-origin 122 mm and 152 mm systems, although the exact scope of the proposed replacement was not specified.

Design

Artillery system

Marta is based on the Ukrainian Bohdana artillery family but uses a shorter 39-caliber barrel rather than the 52-caliber barrels associated with existing Bohdana self-propelled systems and the Bohdana-BG towed howitzer. The L39 designation means that the barrel length is 39 times the 155 mm bore diameter, giving a barrel length of approximately 6 m.

The shorter barrel is intended to reduce the size and weight of the artillery installation. Ukrainian reporting on the related towed Marta stated that the L39 barrel permits a lighter carriage and smaller towing vehicles, although it also produces a shorter firing range than the longer L52 configuration. Public sources have not disclosed the self-propelled Marta's maximum range, muzzle velocity, rate of fire, ammunition capacity, crew size, or fire-control configuration.

Chassis

The self-propelled Marta is planned to use the Mercedes-Benz Zetros truck chassis. Earlier work on a short-barrel Bohdana considered MAN and Daewoo chassis, but the German-funded 200-system configuration was subsequently confirmed on Zetros.

The choice connects the Ukrainian artillery installation with a German-manufactured tactical truck platform. The chassis are described as being supplied to Ukraine through military assistance. Reporting on the program has also associated the Zetros platform with easier access to established maintenance and spare-parts support.

Armament

The main weapon is a 155 mm howitzer with an L39 barrel. The caliber corresponds to NATO-standard 155 mm artillery ammunition. No confirmed public information in the available sources specifies the ammunition types qualified for Marta or the firing ranges achieved with particular projectiles.

Program status

Marta remained a developing and procurement-stage system in the available 2026 reporting. Germany is funding 200 self-propelled systems for Ukraine under agreements concluded in late 2025, with deliveries planned for 2027.

The available sources do not confirm that production vehicles have entered Ukrainian military service. The 2027 date therefore represents a planned delivery milestone rather than confirmed operational introduction.

Variants

• Marta self-propelled artillery system: 155 mm L39 configuration mounted on a Mercedes-Benz Zetros truck chassis. A German-funded batch of 200 systems is planned for Ukraine.
• Marta towed howitzer: Related 155 mm L39 towed artillery system reported in testing by late 2025. Its shorter barrel permits installation on a lighter carriage than the 52-caliber Bohdana-BG.

Specifications (Marta self-propelled configuration)

General characteristics

• Type: Wheeled self-propelled artillery system
• Chassis: Mercedes-Benz Zetros
• Caliber: 155 mm
• Barrel length: L39, approximately 6 m
• Planned procurement: 200 systems for Ukraine
• Planned delivery: 2027

Armament

• Main armament: 155 mm L39 howitzer

Related equipment

• 2S22 Bohdana: Ukrainian 155 mm wheeled self-propelled artillery family from which the Marta configuration was developed.
• Bohdana-BG: Ukrainian towed 155 mm artillery system using a 52-caliber barrel, compared with Marta's shorter L39 weapon.