Source: Reuters
A gunner of the National Police of Ukraine with his D-30 122mm howitzer somewhere in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, January 12, 2025. Designated the 2A18 but far better known as the D-30, the howitzer first accepted for Soviet Army service in 1960 and even today, remains a mainstay in artillery units of over 60 nations. While Russia no longer produces the D-30, it is currently license-built in Egypt, Iraq, and Sudan. In 2020, the Russian Army had 4,570 D-30 howitzers in service compared to only 129 examples in the Ukrainian Army. As of January 13, 2025, Russia has lost 114 D-30 howitzers while Ukraine has lost 16.
The D-30 replaced the World War II era M-30 122mm howitzer with the D-30 reaching artillery units within Soviet Army divisions and regiments starting in 1963. The D-30 is distinctive in that it uses a tripod carriage which, when deployed, permits 360 degrees of traverse for the howitzer. This also provides a low profile, making the D-30 less conspicuous. Usually, the D-30 is deployed on even ground and once a position is selected, a hydraulic jack underneath the carriage center is lowered to the ground which lifts the howitzer. Once this is complete, the wheels are raised (in the photograph here, they have been removed to reduce the size of the D-30) and the movable two stabilizer legs are deployed and secured. The jack is then lowered so that the stabilizer legs touch the ground. The mount for the howitzer permits 70 degrees of elevation and 7 degrees of depression. It should be mentioned that if the barrel is pointed directly over one of the stabilizer legs, gun elevation is limited to 22 degrees. This is to prevent the D-30 from being displaced due to imbalance. In action, the D-30 weighs a little over 3 tons. When in traveling position, the D-30 is towed by its barrel, the tow ring underneath the muzzle brake. Maximum tow speed on roads is no more than 50 miles per hour. Usually, the D-30 is towed by a 6x6 truck though any vehicle capable of towing at least 3 tons can handle the D-30.
The D-30 uses a semi-automatic, vertical sliding-wedge breech. By semi-automatic, it means when the howitzer is fired, the empty cartridge case is automatically ejected from the breech which then remains open, allowing a new projectile to be loaded. This permits a skilled crew (usually 6 to 8 men) to fire between 10 to 12 rounds every minute though a more sustainable rate is 5 to 6 rounds per minute. Recoil is reduced by way of a multi-baffled muzzle brake and a hydro-pneumatic recoil system mounted above the barrel. The muzzle brake accounts for half of the recoil reduction though the overpressure caused by firing the D-30 is about twice that of comparable caliber guns. As such, it is a danger to unprotected crew and often, gunners use very long lanyards to enable them to fire the D-30 from a distance to reduce the effects of the overpressure wave.
The D-30 can fire a wide array of ammunition. The two most common projectiles are the 3OF56 HE-Frag (High-Explosive Fragmentation) and BK-6M HEAT-FS (High-Explosive Anti-Tank Fin Stabilized) munition. The 3OF56 has a nearly 9 pound payload of A-IX-2 explosive and can use a number of fuzes, to include the common RGM-2. The maximum range is 9.6 miles. If using a RAP (Rocket Assisted Projectile), such as the TF ER BB XM09 (made by Yugoimport), that range increases to 13.4 miles. As the D-30 was designed for direct engagement (another reason for the low profile), the BK-6M round (with 3.5 pound A-X-1 explosive filler) can, with a full charge, reliably penetrate 400mm of armor at a little under 1,000 meters (.6 of a mile). For indirect fire, a PG-1M panoramic telescope is most often used (supplemented with a K-1 collimator) and for direct fire, a OP4M-45 telescopic sight.
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