Denel NTW-20

History

While sniper rifles and their trained snipers are designed to target and deploy personnel, the primary mission of anti-materiel rifles such as the NTW-20 is to penetrate and ultimately destroy critical structural components of the selected target. This is achieved through the use of different types of ammunition and a high rate of fire against relevant targets. Such weapon systems have proven highly effective at incapacitating vehicles by penetrating engine blocks, and have been equally successful against targets such as aircraft, concrete structures, and remote ordnance disposal (the failure of bombs such as improvised explosive devices).

Other notable targets -- especially when using explosive ordnance -- include excavated enemy forces, for example. B. Teams occupying mortar barrels or machine gun nests.

Anti-Material Rifles have been on the battlefield for a long time, dating back to World War I and successfully used in World War II operations. Since then, this classification of weapon systems has become a normal part of the battlefield of any modern military.

Background

NTW-20 is manufactured by Denel's Mechem division. In the West, Denel is more associated with the Denel Cheetah utility aircraft, but the company has built a reputation as a quality supplier to the utility defence industry, particularly the South African Defence Force (SANDF). The system is a high-profile design with origins dating back to its release in 1993 and development in 1995, when it was operating under the Aerotek brand label. The relatively short development time resulted in a working prototype in four months, aided by the reuse of components from the Vector GA1 automatic cannon system. In addition, the project was guided by the participation of Tony Neophytou, an expert in recoil mitigation systems with rotor turret experience.

The NTW-20 uses this recoil delay element in the form of a muzzle brake (covering approximately 50% of the reported recoil), as well as a buffer slide and hydraulic damper in the housing. Since the components are buried within the receiving frame and connected to the piston, the system can slide back and into the hydropneumatic buffer. This action is similar to that of an artillery gun.

The barrel itself was set to float freely within the gun body, allowing the part to recoil separately from the receiver.

Diversity

The NTW-20 offers three available large bores that fire 20x83. 5mm (NTW-20), 14.5x114mm Russian (NTW-14.5) and large 20x110mm Hispano-Suiza cartridges (NTW-20x110). Cartridges are loaded in spring-loaded three-round detachable magazines and fed into the firing chamber via a manual bolt action system mounted on the right side of the receiver. The trigger group and pistol grip are located just below the bolt shaft area.

The stock is fully integrated as part of the body itself, adding clean lines to the overall design. The front has a bipod that mounts to the bottom of the receiver, and an integrated strap that mounts around the oscilloscope. The bipod is fully adjustable and detachable, and comes with a rear-mounted monopod for increased recoil absorption. The safety lock is manually operated.

From the looks of it, the bullet fired by the NTW-20 is one of the most powerful among relatively portable anti-materiel rifles. Notably, the NTW-20 possesses what is considered to be the greatest recoil of any known personal weapon, and is generally considered to be the greatest recoil an average soldier can control.

Barrel change system

One of the key components of the NTW-20 system is the ability to convert between 14.5mm and 20mm caliber versions without extensive modification or rework of the base weapon components. To do so, simply replace the barrel, sight, magazine and the bolt itself, which the operator can do without any special tools.

Portability

As large as the NTW-20, the weapon system is designed to fold when traveling. It fits two "man packs" as it can be divided into two distinct groups - the receiver itself and the barrel/ammo. Each container weighs 15kg, while the entire rifle weighs between 26 and 29kg.

Therefore, a typical NTW-20 crew consists of two people.

Basic NTW-20

The 20 x 82mm model represents the NTW-20 base model. Except for the same bolt-action system and similar detachable 3-round magazine as the NTW-14. As shown in Figure 5, the 20x82 mm model has an overall length of 70.7 inches (1,795 mm) with a 39 inches (560 mm) rifled barrel.

The muzzle velocity is 2,400 feet per second and the muzzle energy is approximately 28,500 joules. Has a range of up to 1,500 m (1,600 yd). Available 20x82mm ammunition types include practice rounds, high-explosive incendiary (HEI) rounds (with or without tracers) and semi-armor-piercing incendiary (API) rounds (also with or without tracers). The NTW-20 has a round muzzle brake.

Aiming is done with a telescope attachment on the receiver.

NTW-14. 5

The "lightest" NTW-20 is a 14.5x114mm (NTW-14.5) caliber model developed from the base NTW-20. Differences include a folding handle under the stock that doubles as an adjustable monopod and an easier barrel removal process. NTW-14.

The 5 can be identified by its longer barrel, the Russian 14.5 caliber cartridge is necessary. Another distinguishing feature is the rectangular muzzle brake. It is fed from a three-round detachable magazine mounted on the left side of the receiver, which is actuated by a manual bolt action lever. She weighs 64 pounds (unladen) and has an overall length of 79.3 inches (2,015 mm). Its free-floating smooth barrel (not grooved like the NTW-20) is rifled and measures 48 inches in length.

Muzzle velocity is estimated to be around 3,500 feet per second, and muzzle energy is reported to be 30,675 joules. Has a range of up to 2,400 m (2,600 yd). The 14.5x114mm ammunition consists of Armor Piercing Incendiary (API) cartridges with or without tracers.

Aiming is done with a telescope attachment on the receiver.

NTW-20x110mm

The 20x110mm (NTW-20x110mm) caliber is more of a different beast than the two comparable NTW-20 and NTW-14. 5 models. It provides powerful firepower to long-range targets where indirect fire from a mortar or grenade launcher cannot provide the required accuracy. The 20x110mm model uses the same manual bolt-action rifle and a similar three-round magazine, but weighs 69 pounds empty.

Its overall length is comparable to the 20x82mm model (including barrel length), and its muzzle velocity is between the 14.5x114mm and 20x82mm models at 2,700 ft/s. However, they have the largest muzzle energy at about 37,000 J. Huge recoil is managed by efficient muzzle brakes and double-acting hydraulic dampers and spring buffers.

The extra recoil is absorbed by the free-floating 39" barrel design. Its range is also mediocre compared to the other two variants, which are 1,800 meters (2,000 yards) long. Aiming is via a 250mm long 8x56 Lynx telescopic sight with long eye distance and parallax adjustment with Bullet Drop Compensator (BDC).

It's important to note here that the 20x110mm version is not designed for the same caliber switching action inherent to the aforementioned 14.5x114mm and 20x82mm models. The NTW-20 20x110mm has an optional vehicle mount and the weapon is designed for two-handed shooting. /p]

NTW-20 Services

The NTW-20 series was officially selected for SANDF service in 1998. As of this writing, India is the only reported operator of NTW-20.

Specification

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Changes