The Begleitpanzer 57 (Escort Tank 57) armored infantry fire support vehicle (AIFSV) was a project of the companies Thyssen-Henschel and Bofors.

It consists of a modified Marder chassis carrying a Bofors 57 mm Naval Automatic Gun L/70 Mark 1 and a TOW ATGM.

In the mid-1970s, the two then-existing companies Thyssen-Henschel and Bofors began without government mandate the development of an infantry escort tank, to fill the niche of a light fire support platform.

Here all the components of the infantry fighting vehicle, such as bullet covers, rear MG, tailgate and hatchways of the crew compartment had been removed to accommodate the much larger turret and associated equipment.

The turret had a recess in the middle in the longitudinal direction, in which the external, crest-fixed pipe cradle was mounted, holding the Bofors 57 mm Naval Automatic Gun L/70 Mk 1.