152mm gun-howitzer D-20 was designed at TDB-9 (Ekaterinburg) under the direct guidance of F.F. Petrov. Serial manufacture was initiated at the plant #221- at present FGUP "Barricades" (Volgograd) in 1955. D-20 has the barrel with the length 26 calibres which consists of monoblock tube, two-chambered muzzle brake, barrel sleeve and breech piece. The wedge-type breech block is vertical, semi-automatic. Elevating and rotating mechanisms provides elevating angle from -5 up to +450 and traverse laying angle - 580.

The same rounds as for 152mm howitzer D-1 is used for firing from D-20. Firing by guided round "Krasnopol" and tactical nuclear artillery rounds is possible.

In 2003 OAO "Motovilikhinskiye zavody" developed overhaul repair of D-20 and carries it out till present time, also OAO "MZ" manufacture main joints and parts of D-20.

During the overhaul repair, designers of OAO "Motovilikhinskiye zavody" developed and approved by firing tests updating of D-20, hightended exploitational characteristics of the jacks and reliability of systems and mechanisms of breech group.