Trumpeter 05546 Soviet T-10M Heavy Tank

The T-10 (other designations: IS-8 or Object 730) is a Soviet heavy tank from the Cold War period. The first prototypes of this vehicle were made in 1953, and the production of the car lasted in the years 1954-1967. The combat weight of the tank was up to 49 tons. The drive was provided by a single diesel engine with a power of up to 700 HP. The basic armament consisted of the 122 mm D-25TA or M-62-T2 gun and two 12.7 mm DSzK or 14.5 mm KPWT machine guns.

The T-10, originally designated IS-8, was the last mass-produced heavy tank in the IS family. It was perceived as a kind of counterweight in the Soviet Army's arsenals to the Western M103 or Conqueror vehicles. At the same time, it differed from its predecessors - mainly the IS-3 and IS-4 tanks - with a longer hull, increased number of load wheels, but most of all with a new turret with a modernized 122 mm gun. Despite the fact that the T-10 was not technically a bad design, it quickly became an anachronistic one due to the Soviet Army's introduction of the very successful T-54, T-55 and especially the T-62 MBTs. Especially the latter had comparable armor as the T-10, with the same or maybe better firepower, and at the same time it was much more mobile and had better maneuverability. This fact, as well as the experience of the Six Day War, led to the relatively quick withdrawal of the T-10 from frontline service. It is worth noting that the T-10 were produced in several versions, including the T-10A (basic production version) or the T-10M (a car with the M-62-T2 gun, stabilized in two planes, or the observation system in infrared).