Rheinmetall Rh 202

Flugabwehrkanone 20 mm Zwilling
Flugabwehrkanone 20 mm Zwilling
	20 mm twin gun 1095 of the German Luftwaffe
Type	Autocannon
Place of origin	West Germany
Production history
Designer	Rheinmetall
Designed	1960s
Manufacturer	Rheinmetall
Specifications
Weight	1,640 kg (combat ready); 2,050 kg (travelling)
Crew	3 to 4
Shell	20 × 139 mm
Caliber	20 mm
Elevation	-5° to +83.5°
Traverse	360°
Rate of fire	880 to 1,030 rpm per gun
Muzzle velocity	1,044 m/s with HEI; 1,100 m/s with AP
Effective firing range	1,600 m against high flying aircraft; 2,500 m against ground targets

Rh 202 in the Marder turret

The MK 20 Rh 202 (short for MaschinenKanone 20 mm Rheinmetall) is an autocannon with a caliber of 20 mm designed and produced by Rheinmetall.

The cannon is used on military vehicles of German origin, like 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.

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.

An antiaircraft towed twin mount was also produced; it was used by Argentina in the Falklands War.

Variant: 20 mm twin anti-aircraft mount

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 x Rh 202 used by the FAA were captured in the Falklands Conflict by the British. 9 at Port Stanley Airport and 6 at Goose Green airfeild
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^[1]
Greece
Portugal
Turkey
Indonesia
Pakistan^{[citation needed]}
Ireland
Chile In Marder 1A3 IFVs.

Specifications

Type: single-barrel automatic cannon
Caliber: 20 mm x 139 (0.79 in)
Operation: combined recoil and gas-piston operated Gas operated
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.
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).