Developed as the first of the West German Army KW 90 vehicles in the 1980s (the others being the PZH 2000 and a new tank) was the Krauss Maffei Marder 2. The design won a competition in 1988 and two prototypes were built. German Army requirements published in 1984 were:

Same mobility as Leopard 2, seven dismounts, main gun engagement to 2km (meaning 35mm), frontal protection against 30mm AP.

Plan was to build 1,000 units from 1997 to 2001 but Reunification of Germany and the end of the Cold War saw the budget cut. Marder 2 prototypes were ready for testing in 1991.