Secretive arsenal: Russia's surprising use of old D‑74 cannons

The mentioned video featuring the D-74 cannon is the first of its kind since the Russian Federation began its aggression toward Ukraine. This is notable because the D-74s were produced in the 1950s, and for several decades, there were none of these weapons— not a single piece— in Russian warehouses.

Defense Express notes that the Military Balance 2023 report indicated there were no D-74 cannons in the arsenal of the Russian Federation at that time. About 2,000 units of M-30 howitzers from a similar era as the D-74 were identified, but there was no record of the D-74 itself.

Moreover, the Russians claimed that before the 1980s, they sold D-74 cannons to countries with people's democracies. However, there's a nuance to this situation. North Korea might have D-74 cannons because China produced them under the name Type 59. Therefore, there are two possible explanations for the appearance of this enigmatic weapon in Russia. The first possibility is one-time support for Russia from North Korea. The second is that the Russians discovered a few "deep in the warehouses" of D-74 cannons— this is suggested.

The D-74 122 mm field gun was first observed in 1955 when it entered service alongside the D-20 152 mm guns and the M-46 130 mm guns. This design differs from the older M1931 (A-19) primarily by its longer barrel, measuring 52 calibers compared to 45 calibers for the M1931. This allowed the D-74 to achieve higher projectile muzzle velocities and greater range.

The D-74 could fire standard 122 mm caliber shells up to 15 miles, improving upon the previous limit of 12 miles. Despite this, it was later replaced by the M-46 gun, which could shoot regular shells up to 17 miles.

Today, Russia largely relies on ammunition supplies from North Korea, where artillery systems of 122 mm and 130 mm caliber prevail. Although the D-74 is no longer widely used, it played a significant role in the development of field artillery.