D-20 Howitzer

The 152 mm gun-howitzer D-20, designated M1955 by Western intelligence, was developed in the Soviet Union during the late 1940s and first observed in 1955. Designed by Fyodor Fyodorovich Petrov at Artillery Plant No. 9 in Sverdlovsk, the weapon was intended to replace the pre-war ML-20 and various World War II-era 152 mm field howitzers. It was classified as a gun-howitzer based on its muzzle velocity and barrel length relative to its caliber. The carriage is shared with the D-74 122 mm field gun, and its barrel assembly provided the basis for the D-22 gun used in the 2S3 Akatsiya self-propelled howitzer.

The D-20 features a double baffle muzzle brake and a semi-automatic vertical sliding-block breech. It is mounted on a split-trail carriage with box girder sections and permanently fixed spades. A pivot jack mounted at the front of the cradle support facilitates traverse; when engaged, the main wheels are lifted clear of the ground using auxiliary bogey wheels on the trail legs. For protection, the gun is equipped with a shield that includes a sliding center section to accommodate the barrel at high elevation angles. The sighting system consists of an OP4M direct fire telescope and a PG1M panoramic indirect-fire periscopic sight.

The weapon uses separate-loading ammunition with metal cartridge cases. Available projectiles include high-explosive fragmentation, smoke, illuminating, and chemical rounds. Later munitions include precision-guided Krasnopol rounds, communication jammers, and rocket-assisted projectiles. It also employs high-explosive anti-tank and armor-piercing high-explosive rounds for direct-fire roles.

The D-20 has been widely exported and produced under license. In Soviet service, it equipped artillery regiments within motor rifle divisions and army-level artillery brigades. It has been utilized by both Russian and Ukrainian forces during the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, with Russian units deploying pieces from storage. One unit was documented in service with the Luhansk People’s Republic. Variant models include the Russian Khitin, which features an automatic rammer, and the Chinese Type 66. Self-propelled versions have been developed by China, North Korea, and Vietnam. Romania and the former Yugoslavia also produced howitzers based on the D-20 carriage design, such as the M1981 and the M84 NORA.