85 mm anti-tank gun D-48 vs M198 howitzer

AArtillery

85 mm anti-tank gun D-48

Anti-tank gun

Credit

George Shuklin · CC BY-SA 1.0 · Resized · CC BY-SA 1.0 · Source ↗ · Modified

M198 howitzer — licensed reference photograph

BArtillery

M198 howitzer

Towed howitzer

Credit

Staff Sgt. Vance · Public domain · Resized · Public domain · Source ↗ · Modified

First system

Second system

At a glance

Side by side

Length comparisonOne shared metre scale

85 mm anti-tank gun D-48Length

8.72 m

Length source ↗

M198 howitzerTravel

12.3 m

Length source ↗

Lengths retain their source configuration and measurement scope.

85 mm anti-tank gun D-48larger figure on 1 of 3

Muzzle velocity+52%

M198 howitzerlarger figure on 2 of 3

Mass+204%
Calibre+82%

Counts only measures both sources give with the same scope. A larger figure is not a better system.

Measured figures

Head to head

20 of 40 rows sourced on both sides

8.72m

12.3mTravel

Length

All recorded figures & sources

8.72 m

Length

Single source

8.72 m (28.6 ft)^[source]

11 m

Combat

Single source

12.3 m

Travel

Single source

Combat: 11 m (36 ft 2 in) Travel: 12.3 m (40 ft 6 in)^[source]

1.59m

2.8mTravel

Width

All recorded figures & sources

1.59 m

Width

Single source

1.59 m (5.22 ft)^[source]

2.8 m

Travel

Single source

Travel: 2.8 m (9 ft 2 in)^[source]

1.89m

2.9mTravel

Height

All recorded figures & sources

1.89 m

Height

Single source

1.89 m (6.2 ft)^[source]

2.9 m

Travel

Single source

Travel: 2.9 m (9 ft 6 in)^[source]

2.4t

7.2t

Mass+204%

All recorded figures & sources

2,350 kg

Mass

Single source

2,350 kg (5,180.8 lbs)^[source]

7,154 kg

Mass

Single source

7,154 kg (15,772 lb)^[source]

9enlisted men

Crew

All recorded figures & sources

6 people

Crew

Single source

6^[source]

9 people

enlisted men

Single source

9 enlisted men^[source]

19kmMaximum; Maximum firing range

40kmMaximum; RAP and L/52 barrel

RangeScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

1.2 km

Effective; Effective firing range

Single source

18.97 km

Maximum; Maximum firing range

Single source

1200 m^[source]

18.97 km (11.8 mi)^[source]

22.4 km

Maximum; Conventional

Single source

30 km

Maximum; RAP

Single source

6.29m74 calibers (

6.09mL/39

Barrel lengthScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

6.29 m

74 calibers (

Single source

74 calibers (6.29 m)^[source]

6.09 m

L/39

Single source

6.09 m (19.98 ft) L/39^[source]

85mmCaliber

155mmCaliber

Calibre+82%

All recorded figures & sources

85 mm

Caliber

Single source

85 mm^[source]

155 mm

Caliber

Single source

155 mm (6.1 inch)^[source]

≤ 15rpmup to max

4rpmMaximum

Rate of fireScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

≤ 8 rounds/min

normal

Single source

≤ 15 rounds/min

up to max

Single source

up to 15 rounds per minute (max) 8 rounds per minute (normal)^[source]

4 rounds/min

Maximum

Single source

2 rounds/min

Sustained

Single source

1,040m/s

684m/s

Muzzle velocity+52%

All recorded figures & sources

1,040 m/s

Muzzle velocity

Single source

1040 m/s^[source]

684 m/s

Muzzle velocity

Single source

684 m/s (2,240 ft/s)^[source]

Bars compare reported quantities only. A larger figure does not make a system better; configurations and test conditions differ.

Configuration

Details

85 mm anti-tank gun D-48 and M198 howitzer configuration
Specification	85 mm anti-tank gun D-48	M198 howitzer
Type	Anti-tank gun^[source]	Towed howitzer^[source]
Place of origin	Soviet Union^[source]	United States^[source]
Wars	Lebanese Civil War First Chechen War Second Chechen War^[source]	Lebanese Civil War Gulf War Somali Civil War War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) Iraq War War in Iraq (2013-2017) Syrian Civil War 2025 Cambodia‒Thailand conflict 2026 Afghanistan-Pakistan war^[source]
Designed	1948^[source]	1968–1977^[source]
Produced	1955–1957^[source]	1978–1992^[source]
Variants	Type 60^[source]	—
Shell	Fixed QF 85×708mm R^[source]	Separate loading charge and projectile^[source]
Carriage	split trail^[source]	Split trail^[source]
Elevation	-6° to 35°^[source]	−5° to +72°^[source]
Traverse	54°^[source]	45°^[source]
Sights	OP-2-77 OP-4-77^[source]	—
Manufacturer	Yurga Machine-Building Plant, Yurga, Zavod No. 9^[source]	Rock Island Arsenal (US)^[source]
In service	—	1979–present^[source]
Used by	—	See Operators^[source]
Unit cost	—	US$ 527,337^[source]
No. built	—	1,600+^[source]
Breech	—	Interrupted screw^[source]
Recoil	—	Hydro-pneumatic^[source]
Reported operators	—	Reported operator · Bahrain Reported operator · Ecuador Reported operator · El Salvador Reported operator · Honduras Reported operator · Iraq Reported operator · Kurdistan Reported operator · Lebanon Reported operator · Morocco Reported operator · Pakistan Reported operator · Saudi Arabia Reported operator · Tunisia Reported operator · Thailand

FORCETALLY

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85 mm anti-tank gun D-48

M198 howitzer

Type

Anti-tank gun^[source]

Towed howitzer^[source]

Place of origin

Soviet Union^[source]

United States^[source]

Wars

Lebanese Civil War First Chechen War Second Chechen War^[source]

Lebanese Civil War Gulf War Somali Civil War War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) Iraq War War in Iraq (2013-2017) Syrian Civil War 2025 Cambodia‒Thailand conflict 2026 Afghanistan-Pakistan war^[source]

Designed

1948^[source]

1968–1977^[source]

Produced

1955–1957^[source]

1978–1992^[source]

Variants

Type 60^[source]

—

Shell

Fixed QF 85×708mm R^[source]

Separate loading charge and projectile^[source]

Carriage

split trail^[source]

Split trail^[source]

Elevation

-6° to 35°^[source]

−5° to +72°^[source]

Traverse

54°^[source]

45°^[source]

Sights

OP-2-77 OP-4-77^[source]

—

Manufacturer

Yurga Machine-Building Plant, Yurga, Zavod No. 9^[source]

Rock Island Arsenal (US)^[source]

In service

—

1979–present^[source]

Used by

—

See Operators^[source]

Unit cost

—

US$ 527,337^[source]

No. built

—

1,600+^[source]

Breech

—

Interrupted screw^[source]

Recoil

—

Hydro-pneumatic^[source]

Reported operators

—

Reported operator · Bahrain
Reported operator · Ecuador
Reported operator · El Salvador
Reported operator · Honduras
Reported operator · Iraq
Reported operator · Kurdistan
Reported operator · Lebanon
Reported operator · Morocco
Reported operator · Pakistan
Reported operator · Saudi Arabia
Reported operator · Tunisia
Reported operator · Thailand