Engineering:Rheinmetall Mk 20 RH-202
thumb|right|Rh 202 in the Marder turret The Rheinmetall Mk 20 RH-202 (short for MaschinenKanone 20 mm Rheinmetall) is a 20 mm autocannon designed and produced by Rheinmetall. It fires the 20×139mm ammunition originally developed for the Hispano-Suiza HS.820.
The cannon is used on German military vehicles including the Marder infantry fighting vehicle, the Spähpanzer Luchs and some variants of the Wiesel AWC. It is also used in the Argentinian VCTP, an IFV based on the TAM chassis. A towed twin mount antiaircraft version was also produced; it was used by Argentina in the Falklands War.
German naval ships also employed Rh 202 mounts (usually two on frigates and destroyers, four on larger replenishment ships), but they have been or are currently being replaced with the new Mauser (now a subsidiary of Rheinmetall) MLG 27 remote-controlled guns of 27 mm calibre.
A version modified to fire the U.S. M50 series of 20×102mm ammunition loaded into the M14 link belt has been offered to no avail for the U.S. Government by Maremont Corp., of Saco, Maine, licensed by Rheinmetall under marketing arrangement.[1]
Variant: 20 mm twin anti-aircraft mount
| Flugabwehrkanone 20 mm Zwilling | |
|---|---|
 20 mm twin gun 1095 of the German Air Force . | |
| Type | Autocannon |
| Place of origin | West Germany |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Rheinmetall |
| Designed | 1960s |
| Manufacturer | Rheinmetall |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 1,640 kg (combat ready)[2] 2,050 kg (travelling) |
| Length | 5 m (16 ft 5 in) (travelling) |
| Barrel length | 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) |
| Width | 2.3 m (7 ft 7 in) (travelling) |
| Height | 2 m (6 ft 7 in) (travelling)[3] |
| Crew | 3 to 4 |
| Shell | 20 × 139 mm |
| Calibre | 20 mm[2] |
| Action | Gas unlocked blowback |
| Elevation | -5° to +83.5°[2] |
| Traverse | 360°[2] |
| Rate of fire | 880 to 1,030 rpm per gun[2] |
| Muzzle velocity | 1,044 m/s with HEI 1,100 m/s with AP |
| Effective firing range | 1,600 m against high flying aircraft[2] 2,500 m against ground targets[2] |
Rheinmetall Zwillingsflak twin-gun anti-aircraft system began development in 1968 to meet the requirements of the low-level air defence units of the German Air Force, i.e. "to engage low and very low approaching enemy aircraft with all appropriate means in time to prevent them from firing their weapons or delivering their ordnance, or at least to prevent them from carrying out an accurate attack on an air force installation."
The Budget Committee of the Bundestag approved the Zwillingsflak system in December 1969, and serial production began in 1972; the first production systems reached units of the Bundeswehr on October 12 of that year. Rheinmetall delivered the last of these in 1976.
This gun was also used by the Argentine Air Force , including during the Falklands War.
Since 1981, it was used by the Portuguese Army and Portuguese Air Force .
Operators
Argentina - A total of 15 Rh 202 used by the Argentine Air Force were captured in the Falklands Conflict by the British. 9 at Port Stanley Airport and 6 at Goose Green airfield
Germany – 1015 ordered in 1969. Used between 1972 and 1992, twin model now withdrawn from service, but the single barrel version still is used, usually vehicle-mounted[2]
Greece
Portugal – Some 30 used by the Army
Turkey
Indonesia
Sri Lanka - Deployed on the navy newly aqquired AOPVs SLNS Sayurala (2016), SLNS Sindurala (2018) and on other vessels.
Ireland
Chile In Marder 1A3 IFVs.
Specifications
- Type: single-barrel automatic cannon
- Caliber: 20 × 139 mm (0.79 in)
- Operation: Gas-unlocked sliding breech block, blowback, recoiling base
- Length: 2612 mm (8 ft 7 in)
- Barrel length: 2002 mm
- Rifling angle: 6°
- Weight (complete): 75 kg (165 lb) single feed; 83 kg (183 lb) dual feed
- Rate of fire: 880-1,000 rpm
- Effective range: 2000 m
- Max. range: 7000 m
- Muzzle velocity: 1,050 to 1,150 m/s (3,440 to 3,770 ft/s)
- Recoil force: 550–750 kg
- Projectile weight: 134 g (0.3 lb) full calibre; 108 g APDS
Gallery
Turret of a German Army Luchs 2 armored reconnaissance vehicle showing Rh 202 as main armament.
A German Army Wiesel AFV showing Rh 202 as main armament.
A German Army Marder fires its Rh202 20 mm cannon on a training exercise.
- TAM VCTP -1.jpg
An Argentine Army VCTP showing turret with Rh 202 as main armament.
Argentine Rheinmetall 20 mm twin anti-aircraft cannon, Imperial War Museum.
Same gun, with an adult male nearby for a reference of scale. Markings "Fuerza Aérea Argentina" (English: Argentine Air Force) on the side.
Naval mount, Irish offshore patrol ship LÉ Róisín (P51).
See also
- ZU-23-2
- Hispano-Suiza HS.820
- Oerlikon 35 mm twin cannon
- List of artillery
- List of anti-aircraft guns
- List of artillery of Germany
References
- ↑ German Machineguns, MOR Associates, 1971, p. 168
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 "Die Flugabwehrkanone 20 mm Zwilling" (in German). luftwaffe.de. http://www.geschichte.luftwaffe.de/portal/a/geschlw/kcxml/04_Sj9SPykssy0xPLMnMz0vM0Y_QjzKLNwyL9_AIBsmB2e5eTvqRcNGglFR9X4_83FR9b_0A_YLciHJHR0VFACjlI9M!/delta/base64xml/L2dJQSEvUUt3QS80SVVFLzZfMVZfSFBR?yw_contentURL=%2F01DB060000000001%2FW26R9AV2021INFODE%2Fcontent.jsp. Retrieved 8 April 2011.
- ↑ Foss, Christopher (1977). Jane's pocket book of towed artillery. New York: Collier. p. 205. ISBN 0020806000. OCLC 911907988. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/911907988.
External links
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