A modern approach to an old weapon. Howitzer D-30 in Special Operations
The Russian missile forces and artillery are armed with various barrel systems, and one of the most common is the 122-mm howitzer D-30(A). Despite its considerable age, this product shows high performance and retains great potential. At the same time, the emergence of new auxiliary means and methods of application makes it possible to use all the capabilities of the howitzer and obtain the best results.
Special Operations Experience
The D-30/2A18 howitzer was adopted by the Soviet armies in 1960. Its modernized version D-30A / 2A18M began to enter service in 1978. The guns were supplied to our units and sent abroad. Over the past decades, D-30s have taken part in a number of armed conflicts. Right now, such howitzers are used as part of the Special Operation to Protect Donbass. At the same time, they are in service with both the Russian army and enemy formations.
According to known data, crews of D-30 howitzers have been participating in the Special Operation since its first days. During the offensive, they followed the main forces and provided fire support. Subsequently, a positional confrontation formed in the main sectors of the front, and the role of howitzer artillery of all calibers increased. The D-30 and other guns of this class have become one of the main means of exerting fire on the enemy. This state of affairs largely continues to this day.
The Ministry of Defense and specialized resources regularly talk about the work of artillerymen, incl. using D-30 howitzers. Combat work is demonstrated, as well as shooting results. Only a small part of their service is captured in the frame, but it also shows the basic principles and features of the combat use of howitzers, as well as the goals achieved.
Placement of a gun under the cover of natural camouflage, Donetsk direction, May 2024.
Combat application
In general, the use of howitzers follows a general algorithm. Having received the order, the crew, using a tractor, moves the gun into position and deploys and prepares for firing. The reconnaissance units receive the coordinates of the target, make the necessary calculations and open fire. If necessary, adjustments and new shooting are carried out. After hitting the target and/or remaining in position for a sufficiently long time, the howitzer moves away to avoid a retaliatory strike.
Camouflaged long-term firing positions are also used. To avoid detection by the enemy, the weapon is camouflaged in the form of nets, branches, etc. It is also possible to place a howitzer on the edge of a forest belt under the cover of branches. In all cases, the enemy’s chances of detecting a position from the air are sharply reduced, and the safety of the gun and crew increases.
In the vast majority of cases, shooting is carried out from a closed position along an overhead trajectory. D-30 howitzers fire at a wide range of targets. They destroy manpower and equipment in open spaces and in shelters. With their help, strongholds and other structures are destroyed. The guns are used in counter-battery warfare. In accordance with the characteristic trends of the present time, the D-30 can destroy UAV crews, leaving the enemy without reconnaissance and strike capabilities.
Depending on the assigned tasks, howitzers can hit specific targets, incl. newly identified by reconnaissance, cover entire areas with fire or support the advance of our troops. With proper organization of combat use, the required results are achieved in all cases.
D-30 with a homemade “visor” for camouflage and protection
Various reconnaissance means work in the interests of D-30 howitzers and other guns. The detection of targets and determination of their coordinates are carried out by reconnaissance officers on the front line, using optical and radio equipment. Various unmanned aerial vehicles are also being actively used aviation systems. Scouts and UAVs are also responsible for adjusting fire. The fastest possible transfer of information from reconnaissance to gun crews is ensured, which reduces reaction speed and increases the chance of successfully hitting a target.
Technical potential
The D-30/2A18 is a 122 mm towed howitzer for regimental and divisional artillery. It is intended to destroy various targets and objects, stationary and mobile, for which it can fire directly or from closed positions. A number of important solutions were used in the design of the gun, which increased its operational and combat characteristics.
The howitzer has a rifled 122 mm barrel with a length of 38 klb. The barrel is equipped with a muzzle brake; The two main modifications of the gun differ in the design of this device. A vertical wedge valve is used. The barrel is mounted on the carriage using hydropneumatic recoil devices.
An original carriage with three sliding frames was developed especially for the D-30. In the combat position, the upper carriage of the gun carriage is located above the frames: thanks to this, direct fire can be fired in any direction without the need to move weapons. Vertical guidance – from -7° to +70° (provided the breech is located between the beds). Guidance is carried out by manual drives. The gunner uses a PG-1 panoramic sight and an OP-4M telescopic sight.
Driver at work
The D-30(A) uses the entire range of domestic 122 mm single-case loaded rounds. Trained crew of 6 people. capable of maintaining a rate of fire of 7-8 rounds/min. The maximum firing range of a conventional projectile is more than 15 km. Active-reactive ammunition increases this parameter to 20-22 km.
In the stowed position, the carriage frames are brought together, and the gun is deployed with the barrel along them. Towing is carried out by a special beam attached to the muzzle brake. In this form, the length of the howitzer does not exceed 5,4 m. Weight is 3,2 tons. The gun, ammunition and crew are moved using trucks or tracked tractors.
Realized potential
The D-30 howitzer was developed more than 60 years ago and has not fundamentally changed since then. In addition, in terms of tactical and technical characteristics, it is inferior to both newer artillery models and larger caliber systems. However, the proper use of a not-so-new weapon - alone or in conjunction with other models - allows you to fully realize its potential and even gain new capabilities. All this is being demonstrated right now during the Special Operation.
Shot
Changing the design of the gun, its ammunition and tactical and technical characteristics, for obvious reasons, is not possible. As a result, the effectiveness of application is increased in other ways. All of them are related to the organization of combat work and auxiliary means. Some of them have taken place in the past, while others have only been introduced in recent years.
To date, our army has received a large number of modern artillery reconnaissance equipment - UAVs and specialized radars. They allow you to quickly and efficiently search for targets, issue target designations and adjust fire. With their help, it is possible to make maximum use of the potential of existing weapons, incl. not the newest D-30.
The presence of the enemy's own UAVs and firepower places special demands on artillery protection. Camouflage and means of suppression are now of great importance. Hiding the howitzer from enemy reconnaissance or protecting it from attack drone-kamikaze, you can continue combat work or go to a safe place for subsequent access to a new firing position.
The level of calculation preparation is of great importance. Artillerymen must be able to properly use their equipment, as well as interact with their subordinates. The real effectiveness of fire, their own safety and the results of the work of the supported branches of the military directly depend on their skills.
Defeat a building containing enemy fighters
Using an enemy with similar weapons as an example, one can see the importance of production and logistics. The ability of industry to produce the required amount of ammunition and transport it to the front, as well as the ability to repair weapons, largely determines the results of artillery work. Production and logistics problems can dramatically reduce the effectiveness of howitzers. Fortunately, in our army these issues have been resolved, and the artillerymen receive the necessary supplies.
Still modern
Thus, the D-30 howitzer clearly shows that design age and obsolescence are not always related. The howitzer was developed more than 60 years ago, but is still suitable for combat missions - over the past decades, the laws of ballistics and the principles of influencing the target have not changed. At the same time, the introduction and use of new reconnaissance and control means allows for more efficient use of existing materiel, even within the limits of its characteristics.
D-30 howitzers still remain one of the main weapons of our artillery units, and there are no plans to abandon them. At the same time, in the near future, the guns and their crews will continue to participate in the Special Operation and solve all expected combat missions. In this they will be helped by related systems of various kinds and specialists managing them.
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