122 mm howitzer 2A18 (D-30)

122 mm howitzer 2A18 (D-30)
122 mm howitzer 2A18 (D-30)
	D-30A in Afghan service
Type	Howitzer
Place of origin	Soviet Union
Service history
In service	1960–present
Used by	see Operators
Wars	Ethiopian Civil War; Lebanese Civil War; Western Sahara War; Uganda–Tanzania War; Soviet–Afghan War; Iran–Iraq War; Gulf War; First Nagorno-Karabakh War; Somali Civil War; Yugoslav Wars; Eritrean-Ethiopian War; Second Congo War; Boko Haram insurgency; Syrian Civil War; War in Iraq (2013–2017); War in Donbas; Yemeni Civil War (2014–present); Second Nagorno-Karabakh War; Tigray War; Russo-Ukrainian War; War in Amhara; Myanmar Civil war;
Production history
Designer	F.F. Petrov
Designed	1950s
Manufacturer	PJSC Plant No. 9
Produced	1960–present
Variants	See variants
Specifications
Mass	Combat: 3.21 t (3.16 long tons; 3.54 short tons)
Length	Transport: 5.4 m (17 ft 9 in)
Barrel length	4.66 m (15 ft 3 in) L/38
Width	Transport: 1.9 m (6 ft 3 in)
Height	Transport: 1.6 m (5 ft 3 in)
Crew	1+7
Shell	122 x 447 mm R; Separate loading charge and projectile
Caliber	122 mm (4.8 in)
Breech	Semi-automatic vertical sliding-wedge
Recoil	Hydro-pneumatic
Carriage	tripod
Elevation	−7° to 70°
Traverse	360°
Rate of fire	Maximum: 10–12 rpm; Sustained: 5–6 rpm
Effective firing range	15.4 km (9.6 mi); 21.9 km (13.6 mi); (with rocket-assisted projectile)

The 122-mm howitzer D-30 (GRAU index 2A18) is a Soviet howitzer that first entered service in 1960. It is a robust piece that focuses on the essential features of a towed field gun suitable for all conditions. The D-30 has a maximum range of 15.4 km (9.6 mi) or 21.9 km (13.6 mi) using rocket-assisted projectile ammunition.

With its three-leg mounting, the D-30 can be rapidly traversed through 360 degrees. Although no longer manufactured in the countries of the former Soviet Union, the D-30 is still manufactured internationally and is in service in more than 60 countries' armed forces.

The barrel assembly of the 2A18 gun is used in the 2S1 self-propelled howitzer. There are also Egyptian, Chinese, Serbian, and Syrian self-propelled variants and conversions. The Syrian conversion utilizes the hull of the T-34 tank.