Object 279 was a sixty-ton prototype of a Soviet heavy tank developed in 1957-1959. The tank was characterized by very strong armor protection and its shape was intended to withstand the shock wave of a nuclear attack. It moved on four tracks with the possibility of changing the ground clearance of the vehicle, which should ensure high passability through difficult terrain. The armament consisted of an experimental 130-millimetre M-65 tank cannon with a rate of 5-7 rounds per minute, which was supposed to be able to penetrate the 300-millimetre-thick armour plate of the enemy. The cannon was equipped with Grozda stabilization and night vision, the range was 12,500 meters. A 14.5-millimeter KPVT heavy machine gun was coupled to the cannon. Only 3 prototypes were produced, serial production did not take place due to high costs and unsatisfactory test results. The only surviving example can be found in the Russian Tank Museum in Kubinka.
Read more