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 ha ...

autocannon An autocannon, automatic cannon or machine cannon is a fully automatic gun that is capable of rapid-firing large-caliber ( or more) armour-piercing, explosive or incendiary shells, as opposed to the smaller-caliber kinetic projectiles (bull ...

designed and produced by

Rheinmetall Rheinmetall AG is a German automotive and arms manufacturer, headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany. Its shares are traded on the Frankfurt stock exchange. History Rheinmetall was founded in 1889. Banker and investor Lorenz Zuckermandel L ...

. 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 Marder may refer to: German military vehicles * A series of World War II tank destroyers: ** Marder I ** Marder II ** Marder III * Marder (IFV), a modern infantry fighting vehicle * Marder (submarine), a World War II midget submarine People with ...

infantry fighting vehicle An infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), also known as a mechanized infantry combat vehicle (MICV), is a type of armoured fighting vehicle used to carry infantry into battle and provide direct-fire support. The 1990 Treaty on Conventional Armed Forc ...

, 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 The Falklands War ( es, link=no, Guerra de las Malvinas) was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and its territorial de ...

. German naval ships also employed Rh 202 mounts (usually two on

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...

s and

destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed in ...

s, four on larger replenishment ships), but they have been or are currently being replaced with the new

Mauser Mauser, originally Königlich Württembergische Gewehrfabrik ("Royal Württemberg Rifle Factory"), was a German arms manufacturer. Their line of bolt-action rifles and semi-automatic pistols has been produced since the 1870s for the German arme ...

(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 The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States, a federal republic located primarily in North America, composed of 50 states, a city within a fede ...

by Maremont Corporation, of Saco, Maine, licensed by Rheinmetall under marketing arrangement.German Machineguns
, MOR Associates, 1971, p. 168

20 mm twin anti-aircraft mount variant

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

. Since 1981, it was used by the

Portuguese Army The Portuguese Army ( pt, Exército Português) is the land component of the Armed Forces of Portugal and is also its largest branch. It is charged with the defence of Portugal, in co-operation with other branches of the Armed Forces. With its ...

and

Portuguese Air Force , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = 1 July , equipment = , equipment_label ...

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 Two ships operated by the Sri Lanka Navy have had the name SLNS ''Sayurala''. * , an ex-Indian Coast Guard which enter service in Sri Lanka Navy in 2009 and returned to India in 2011 * SLNS Sayurala (2016) SLNS ''Sayurala'' () pennant number P ...

'' (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 An autocannon, automatic cannon or machine cannon is a fully automatic gun that is capable of rapid-firing large- caliber ( or more) armour-piercing, explosive or incendiary shells, as opposed to the smaller-caliber kinetic projectiles ( bu ...

* 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 The German Army (, "army") is the land component of the armed forces of Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German ''Bundeswehr'' together with the ''Marine'' (German Navy) and the ''Luftwaf ...

Luchs 2 armored reconnaissance vehicle showing Rh 202 as main armament. File:Wiesel120mm2.jpg, A

Wiesel AFV showing Rh 202 as main armament. File:Marder1A3.2.jpg, A

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 Imperial War Museums (IWM) is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. Founded as the Imperial War Museum in 1917, the museum was intended to record the civil and military ...

. 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