D-30 122-mm howitzer
Finland decided to allow Estonia to re-export D-30 howitzers and their shells to Ukraine. This is stated in the message of the government of Finland. On the basis of a re-export permit, Estonia can export the following products to Ukraine: 122-mm howitzers D-30; and Ammunition. It is noted that Estonia has 42 such howitzers, which were previously bought in Finland, and plans to transfer part of them to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The government of Finland also reported that Estonia requires the number of exported products to be kept secret.
The D-30 was used by the former East German army and after the German reunification in the 1990s, some of the D-30 howitzers were exported to Finland, which then handed them over to Estonia in 2009. A total of 49 D-30 howitzers were purchased from Finland in 2009 to replace previously used 105mm howitzers.
Among Kyiv's allies, Germany was under pressure to supply more weapons, but was hesitant. Criticism of Berlin was on the rise and Germany-bashing was the order of the day. The rift between Eastern Europe and Germany threatened to crack wide open in the winter of 2022, when Estonia wanted to ship stockpiled East German D-30 howitzers to Ukraine and Berlin objected, only consenting to the move after the Russian invasion.
The Soviet 122-mm towed howitzer was adopted by the Soviet Army on May 12, 1960. It was modified in 1978 and is currently in service with many countries under the name D-30A. There are about 3,600 guns in service with 35 countries, excluding the countries of the former USSR.
The D-30, or 122-mm howitzer D-30 (GRAU index 2A18), is a Soviet howitzer that first entered service in the 1960s. It is a relatively light and handy weapon despite being heavy enough for sustained long range fire in the field. The D-30 has a maximum range of 15.4 kilometers, or over 21 km using RAP ammunition. Weighing only 3200 kg, the cannon is easy to tow and the platform allows a towing speed of 80 km/h. The D-30 is noted for simplicity of maintenance by its users; reputedly there are no special tools, all jobs can be done with a wrench and large hammer.
With its striking three-leg stabilising system the D-30 can be rapidly traversed through 360 degrees. Although no longer manufactured in FSU nations the D-30 is still manufactured internationally and is in service in more than 60 countries' armed forces. The 2A18 gun is the primary weapon of the 2S1 self-propelled howitzer. There are also Egyptian, Chinese, and Syrian Self-propelled variants and conversions. The Syrian conversion utilizes the hull of a T-34 tank.
The cannon is still in use in Estonia, in reserve for the needs of the 2nd Infantry Brigade, which belongs to the army during the war, but inactive during peacetime. The brigade's organization includes an artillery battalion, or a battery in our opinion, the strength of which is not known to the magazine, however. In 2009, 42 howitzers and ammunition were bought for Estonia from Finland, the number of cannons in the battery is hardly that large and an educated guess is that a third or half of the total number is now going to Ukraine.
Part of the Finnish defense equipment aid being sent to Ukraine is made possible by the intensification of bilateral cooperation between Finland and Sweden: according to a declaration of intent to be signed today, Finland will transfer materials to Ukraine, and Sweden expresses readiness to support Finland as needed. The Defense Forces of Finland and Sweden are reviewing and, if necessary, updating their operational plans in this regard.
The Finnish Ministry of Defense has developed clear plans on how to provide Ukraine with the necessary defense material in such a way that the material support does not threaten the implementation of the national defense of Finland or Sweden. "Joint support for Ukraine is evidence of deep mutual trust between Finland and Sweden and increasingly close defense cooperation," the agency emphasized.
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