The Rheinmetall Mk 20 RH-202 (short for ''MaschinenKanone 20 mm Rheinmetall'') is a

20 mm caliber 20 mm caliber is a specific size of popular autocannon ammunition. It is typically used to distinguish smaller-caliber weapons, commonly called "guns", from larger-caliber "cannons" (e.g. machine gun vs. autocannon). All 20 mm cartridges ...

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 The Spähpanzer Luchs (English: Scout Armored Car "Lynx") is a German 8x8 amphibious reconnaissance armoured fighting vehicle (''Spähpanzer'') that was in service from 1975 to 2009 with the German Army, who used 408 in their armoured reconnaissa ...

and some variants of the

Wiesel AWC The Wiesel Armoured Weapons Carrier (AWC) is a German light air-transportable armoured fighting vehicle, more specifically a lightly armoured weapons carrier, produced by Rheinmetall. It is quite similar to historical scouting tankettes in size, ...

. It is also used in the Argentinian VCTP, an IFV based on the TAM chassis. A towed twin mount

antiaircraft Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...

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 Corporation, of

Saco, Maine Saco is a city in York County, Maine, York County, Maine, United States. The population was 20,381 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. It is home to Ferry Beach State Park, Funtown Splashtown USA, Thornton Academy, as well as General ...

, licensed by Rheinmetall under marketing arrangement.German Machineguns
, MOR Associates, 1971, p. 168

20 mm twin anti-aircraft mount variant

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 "Argentine Wings" , mascot = , anniversaries = 10 August (anniversary) 1 May (Baptism of fire during the Falklands War) , equipment = 139 aircraft , equipment_label = , battles = * Operation Independence * Operation Soberanía * Falkl ...

, including during the Falklands War. Since 1981, it was used by the Portuguese Army and Portuguese Air Force.

Operators

* – 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 * – 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 * – Some 326 used by the Hellenic Air Force * – Some 30 used by the Army * * * - Deployed on '' Fiat CM6614''. * * - Deployed on '' Thyssen Henschel UR-416'' of the Saudi Special Security Force. * - Deployed on the naval ships '' SLNS Sayurala'' (2016), '' SLNS Sindurala'' (2018) and on other vessels. * - Secondary armament on naval patrol vessels. * – Deployed on 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

File:Luchs turret.JPEG, Turret of a German Army Luchs 2 armored reconnaissance vehicle showing Rh 202 as main armament. File:Wiesel120mm2.jpg, A German Army Wiesel AFV showing Rh 202 as main armament. File:Marder1A3.2.jpg, A German Army Marder fires its Rh202 20 mm cannon on a training exercise. File:20 mm Twin Anti-Aircraft Cannon IWM 3.jpg, Argentine Rheinmetall 20 mm twin anti-aircraft cannon, Imperial War Museum. File:Scale Rheinmetall 20 mm.JPG, Same gun, with a man nearby for a reference of scale. Markings "'' Fuerza Aérea Argentina''" ( en, Argentine Air Force) on the side. File:LÉ Róisin starboard 20 mm Rheinmetall Rh 202 Helsinki.JPG, Naval mount, Irish offshore patrol ship ''LÉ Róisín'' (P51). File:Rheinmetall Rh202 naval mount.jpg, Another version of naval mount, Indonesian frigate ''KRI'' ''Abdul Halim Perdanakusuma'' (355).

References

External links