Defence group Denel unveils new version of 20 mm semiautomatic weapon

South African defence company Denel PMP, part of the State-owned Denel group, highlighted on Thursday the latest version of its iNkunzi PAW semiautomatic weapon, the iNkunzi PAW A2 (iNkunzi means Bull). The iNkunzi PAW (the acronym stands for Personal Area Weapon) fires 20 mm bursting ammunition and has a maximum range of 1 000 m.

Denel describes the iNkunzi as “one of the most effective personal area weapons in the world …. designed to meet the needs of the modern combat soldier who requires a light weight, yet highly effective, personal area weapon. It is carried by a single soldier and fired from the shoulder.”

The new version of the weapon is already attracting interest from potential customers around the world. The company is “exploring further markets” for the iNkunzi and its ammunition.

The box cartridge cassette used in the original version of the weapon is replaced, in the A2 model, by a rotary magazine which holds six rounds. The rotary magazine increases the efficiency of the weapon and improves its balance. The A2 also has a new inertia-operated recoil system, replacing the original gas-operated recoil system.

Denel PMP states that the iNkunzi PAW “is a highly accurate weapon that is best deployed in modern urban warfare conditions. It can also be used in rural or jungle combat terrains …. It is widely respected as being a force multiplier and is highly effective against thin-skinned vehicles, command posts, machine-gun nests and radar installations”.

The announcement of the A2 version follows the unveiling, at the Africa Aerospace and Defence 2016 exhibition in September, of the vehicle-mounted iNkunzi Strike version. This employs the same 20 mm x 42 mm ammunition as the iNkunzi PAW, but has a rate of fire of up to 350 rounds a minute.

This model is integrated into the Self-Defence Remotely Operated Weapon (better known as SDROW) mount, developed by Denel Mechatronics (part of Denel Vehicle Systems). This means that the gunner operates the weapon from within the vehicle. However, the company is also developing a tripod for the iNkunzi Strike, so it can be dismounted yet continue to provide a high volume of fire while apart from the vehicle.