iNkunzi Strike

iNkunzi Strike is an automatic weapon with a caliber of 20 mm. The weapon has the ability to fire small-sized rounds of caliber 20x42 mm, while the weight of the projectile is 110 grams, the weight of the full round is 160 grams.

The grenade launcher has a length of only 850 mm, a barrel length of 30 calibers and a weight of only 13 kg. A light 20-mm automatic weapon can be mounted without effort on standard 7,62 or 12,7-mm machine guns place.

iNkunzi Strike has a practical rate of fire 300-350 rounds per minute. At the same time, the effective range of fire for small-sized targets is 400 meters, and for large targets - up to 600 meters, for areas (fire to suppress the enemy) to 1000 meters. At the same time, the maximum firing range is 3000 meters. The ammunition supply system is ribbon dual feed.

Ammunition caliber of 20x42 mm was created by Denel PMR engineers and was previously used in the company's serially produced anti-personnel seven-charge grenade launcher iNkunzi PAW-20 Neopup. Its serial production began in 2015.

Currently, two types of basic combat rounds have been created for the lightweight automatic weapon iNkunzi Strike - semi-armor-piercing high-explosive and incendiary. Both types are filled with Hexal P30 explosive (hexogen-based composition) and equipped with a contact action fuse. The zone of destruction of the ammunition 20x42 mm is about two meters.

It is possible that the lightweight 20-mm iNkunzi Strike automatic gun will be installed in the remotely controlled weapon station SD-ROW (Self Defense Remotely Operated Weapon), which until recently used machine guns caliber 5.56 and 7.62 mm.

 Denel PMP’s innovative Inkunzi Strike 20 mm automatic weapon is almost ready for production, with qualification currently underway. The semi-automatic Inkunzi Personal Area Weapon (PAW) is already in series production.

Design work on the Inkunzi Strike has been completed and Denel Pretoria Metal Pressings (PMP) has built three weapons for qualifications. One of these has been integrated onto the Denel Self Defence Remotely Operated Weapon (SDROW) turret. It can also be fitted onto the Meerkat retractable weapon station.

The Inkunzi Strike is a recoil-operated belt-fed weapon able to fire at a rate of 350 rounds per minute. A mechanism in the feed system holds the last round securely in place so that when the feed cover is opened, the round does not come loose and fall out.

The Inkunzi Strike is designed to operate from an open bolt system, preventing any possibility of a cook-off occurring. Stripping and access to the mechanism is possible without the use of any tools.

One of the Inkunzi Strike’s key attributes is that it offers a lot of firepower in a small package – three Inkunzi rounds occupy the same volume as one 40 mm grenade.

Inkunzi PAW

The Inkunzi Strike was developed after the Inkunzi PAW by Tony Neophytou, of NTW fame. The first Inkunzi Strike was developed using the 12.7×76 mm round, but the 20×42 mm was settled on in the end so that both the Inkunzi PAW and Strike use the same ammunition. Neophytou estimates one 20×42 mm round is equivalent to 30 5.56 mm rounds in delivered payload. “This is a 20 mm capability for the price of a machinegun,” Neophytou said.

Unlike the Inkunzi Strike, the PAW fires from a closed bolt design. The entire receiver recoils within its housing to decrease recoil, making it easy for an infantryman to use and providing him with an anti-material and area capability that is similar to a larger 20 mm cannon or a 40 mm grenade launcher. It is this flexibility and versatility that makes the Inkunzi so unique.

The new version also replaces the gas operated recoil system with a new inertia-operating system. Various small improvements have been made to the design, with the latest A3 model having some minor cosmetic changes such as a new dust cover and captive recoil spring.

The Inkunzi PAW and Inkunzi Strike are unique weapons and there is little else like them on the market. China has produced the QLB-06/QLZ-87B 35×32 mm semi-automatic grenade launcher, which was first unveiled in 2006 but this is a much heavier weapon (around 12 kg). The weapon has an effective range of 600 to 1 000 metres. Ammunition includes HE, HE-DP, HE-I and practice rounds.