Profile
- Type
- 122 mm towed howitzer
- Origin
- Soviet Union
- Service note
- Cold War design in current service
Artillery
D-30 122 mm howitzer
The D-30 is a Soviet 122 mm towed howitzer built around a distinctive three-leg carriage that gives the gun 360-degree traverse. In the Russia-Ukraine War it remains relevant because both armies use Soviet-caliber artillery, Ukraine has received additional D-30s from partners, and Russian D-30 positions continue to appear in frontline strike reporting.
- Built by
- Artillery Plant No. 9
- Built in
- Soviet UnionRussia
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Service History
- In service
- Entered Soviet service in the early 1960s; still fielded internationally
- Used by
- Ukrainian Armed Forces, Russian Armed Forces
- Wars
- Russia-Ukraine War
Production History
- Designer
- OKB-9 under F. F. Petrov
- Designed
- Late 1950s
- Built by
- Artillery Plant No. 9
- Built in
- Soviet UnionRussia
- Produced
- Early 1960s onward
- Variants
- D-30, D-30A / 2A18M, 2S1 Gvozdika gun derivative
Specifications
- Crew
- 6
- Caliber
- 122 mm
- Firing range
- 15,300 m with standard ammunition
- Weight
- About 3,200 kg
- Rate of fire
- 6-8 rounds per minute
- Traverse
- 360 degrees on three-trail carriage
Conflict Usage
- Russia-Ukraine War
- Side: RussiaUkraine
Used by both sides as a Soviet-standard 122 mm towed howitzer; Estonia supplied D-30s to Ukraine, while Ukrainian military reporting documents Russian D-30 positions being struck near Myrnohrad.
Related Weapon Systems
2S1 Gvozdika122 mm tracked self-propelled howitzerThe 2S1 Gvozdika is a Soviet 122 mm tracked self-propelled howitzer built around the 2A31 gun on an amphibious armored chassis derived from the MT-LB family. In the Russia-Ukraine War it remains a common short-to-medium-range artillery system for both Russian and Ukrainian forces, combining mobility, indirect fire, and widespread 122 mm ammunition compatibility.
FH70155 mm towed howitzerThe FH70 is a jointly developed British-West German-Italian 155 mm L/39 towed howitzer with an auxiliary power unit for limited self-movement. In Ukrainian service it added another NATO-standard tube-artillery option alongside M777 and CAESAR systems, giving Ukrainian artillery units a 155 mm platform documented at the front from 2022.
M777155 mm towed howitzerA lightweight 155 mm howitzer supplied by Western partners. It gave Ukrainian artillery units broader access to NATO-standard ammunition and precision-capable fire missions.
9K720 IskanderRoad-mobile tactical ballistic and cruise missile systemThe 9K720 Iskander is a Russian road-mobile tactical missile system that launches short-range ballistic missiles and, in Iskander-K configuration, ground-launched cruise missiles. In the Russia-Ukraine War it has served as one of Russia's principal precision-strike systems for attacks beyond the immediate front line.
AGM-88 HARMAir-to-surface anti-radiation missileThe AGM-88 HARM is a U.S. high-speed anti-radiation missile built to home on radar emissions from enemy air-defense systems. In the Russia-Ukraine War, U.S.-supplied HARMs gave Ukrainian aircraft a suppression-of-enemy-air-defenses weapon for forcing or striking Russian radar systems despite the missile's original integration with Western aircraft.
AHS Krab155 mm tracked self-propelled howitzerThe AHS Krab is a Polish 155 mm tracked self-propelled howitzer built by Huta Stalowa Wola around a NATO-standard 52-caliber gun, an armored tracked chassis, and modern fire-control equipment. In Ukrainian service it gives artillery units a mobile Western-caliber gun able to fire standard 155 mm ammunition, displace after missions, and operate in counter-battery-threatened sectors of the Russia-Ukraine War.Sources
122-mm D-30 HowitzerPublisher: National Defence University of Ukraine | Note: Supports manufacturer, design background, service history, and core D-30 specifications. | Accessed: 2026-06-19D-30 2A18Publisher: Army Recognition | Note: Supports additional system background, armament, mobility, traverse, range, and rate-of-fire context. | Accessed: 2026-06-19Estonian Minister of Defence: Allies must give Ukraine heavy weaponryPublisher: Estonian Ministry of Defence | Note: Documents Estonia's Russia-Ukraine War aid package including 122 mm D-30 howitzers for Ukraine. | Accessed: 2026-06-19Myrnohrad without enemy guns: Pilots strike two Russian D-30 howitzersPublisher: ArmyInform | Note: Documents Russian D-30 howitzers at a frontline position in the Russia-Ukraine War. | Accessed: 2026-06-19File:122 mm howitzer 2A18 (D-30).jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and licensing; the file is sourced to Flickr and confirmed on Commons as CC BY 2.0. | Accessed: 2026-06-19