This Tank Can Survive A Nuclear Bomb - Soviet Monster Object 279

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After world war two, and the grand enterence of the atomic weapons used in japan, the world realised that warfare would never be the same. These new powerful bombs would allow conventional forces to be wiped away instantly, and front lines to shift dramatically.
Thus any new military land vehicle would need to be fast, able to traverse inhospitable terrian and even whistant a distant nuclear blast.
Russia being russia, they were quick to come up with a solution. Developed in secret at the Kirov Planet in Leningrad in 1957, this new heavy tank would act much like the heavy tanks of world war two, German Tiger I and II, and the Soviet JS-II and III models - destined to fill the ranks of the supreme command reserve . The project would remain unnamed, only appearing in files as Object 279
this is what it was like.
Object 279 would be a super heavy tank, weighing over 60 metric tons and be 6.77 meters long, 22.3 feet, and 3.4 meters wide, 11.1 feet. It was also 2.6 meters tall, 8.7 feet, making it not very stealthy.
it would have a crew of four, a driver, loadered, gunner and a commander.
Lets talk about those quad tracks. It featured four-track running gear mounted on two longitudinal, rectangular hollow beams, which were also used as fuel tanks. this design would actually spread the weight of the tank over a larger surface area, resulting 0.6 kg/cm2 (~8.5psi).
This made it perfect for cross-country capabilities on swampy terrain, soft soils and area full of cut trees, Czech hedgehogs, antitank obstacles - many areas that other tanks would fail to traverse.
Its weapon system was advanced for the time, featuring a 130mm cannon with a semi-automatic loader with 24 rounds, infrared sights and even a radar rangefinder. It also had a machine gun with 800 rounds.
Frontal armor protection was as thick as eleven inches (its contemporary, the American M-60, was closer to six inches). Its uqnuie oval shape was designed to protect it agaisnt blast shockwaves, such as a nuclear weapon, preventing the tank from flipping over. The whole crew compartment had full chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear protection, as well as heaters and air conditioning.
The whole tank had a powerful 1000 horse power 2dg-8m diesel engine, giving the 60 ton tank a top speed of 55 km per hour, or 34 miles per hour, and range of 300 km, or 186 miles on a single tank.
With the prototype finished by 1959, and tested on the firing range, it seemed like the tank of the future had arrived.
So why was it never put into service?
One of the key reasons why the heavy tank project was abandonded, and why the object 279 never made it past the prototype stage was that the soviet military in 1960 chose to stop operating any tanks over 37 tons. As this type was over 60 tons, it didn't stand a chance.
This was because there was a push from Nikita Krushchev himself to adopt alternative land military vehicles, such as guided missile tanks like the IT-1.
There was also another drawback with the weight of the object 279. While its surface area was greater and it would be able to operate easily on anything from sand to snow, it would have one limit - bridges. Notably, bridges that were throughout regional Russia that could not hold such a large tank. If the Russians found themselves in a war and had to retreat, they would struggle to get their tanks over their own rivers.
And lastly, and this might be the real killer, object 279 was too darn expensive. The tank burned through fuel when moving through swampy areas, it cost a ton to build, repair and maintain, and it was impossible to make it shorter - making its turret stick out over the landscape. Today, there is still one non-functional prototype in Russia.

[@daisuth6563]

This video was sponsored by war thunder

[@captain_commenter8796]

“Use the code TONK to get 5000 free golden eagles”

[@pani_3776]

@@captain_commenter8796 damn, that's a lot

[@foxgaming76yt24]

Eyy

[@daisuth6563]

@@captain_commenter8796 thx for continuing my sentence. :)

[@STHV_]

Even used the War Thunder model

[@captain_commenter8796]

“A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one”

[@u0aol1]

I AMMMM THE SENATE!!!!!!!!

[@thecivilizedshark4283]

Or not very welcome if you despise communism.

[@jasoncentore1830]

What a badass Tank, do the Russians use anything they build. Anyone know about the Russian Eukranoplane. I know spelled wrong, but huge airplane that flies 30' over the water and does like 300MPH, only used a couple times

[@u0aol1]

@@jasoncentore1830 The Ekranoplan was awesome no?

[@transgender_F-117]

@@thecivilizedshark4283 at this point, the russians are just lite capitalists

[@jocax188723]

Me: I was expecting a plane Nick: this tank can tank nukes Me: …I’m listening

[@jasoncentore1830]

What a badass Tank, there is a fear factor just looking at it, how would you like to be face to face with that while your in an Abrahams, the Damn thing is even fast

[@NDT3_Player]

me too

[@VFanFromIndonesia4520]

And even i u shot his track there is other track can be function

[@gabrielb9010]

I like to see F&E exploring other content than just planes this will really benefit your channel

[@jasoncentore1830]

I want him to do the LeTurneau snow train and the Russian Eukranoplane, very cool machines, but so little info on these

[@robbieaulia6462]

@@jasoncentore1830 I think there's already enough Russian Ekranoplan contents out there

[@bobthebuilder1360]

@@robbieaulia6462 agreed

[@captain_commenter8796]

Everyone gangsta until Nick starts tonkin about tonks

[@krystalbrooks6869]

Your channel is titled " Found and Explained". No where in the title does it ever suggest this is an only aircraft channel. Found and Explained can literally be anything. Don't limit your brain or your channel.

[@eviljesus84]

It's a pun - Ex-'Plane'-d

[@sartorialdriver6528]

Can he find and explain why my father left all those years ago?

[@slackerman9758]

@@sartorialdriver6528 because you were a bad child, duh.

[@MrHaha2412]

it should not be just an ‘object’, it should be classified as an ‘anomaly’

[@ViceCoin]

USSR had The 7 Day Plan, to nuke their way across NATO.

[@Admin-gm3lc]

There were probably hundreds of soviet "objects" - rejected prototypes of tanks but we know wery little of them. There were even laser tanks in the 80s!

[@polygonalfortress]

@@Admin-gm3lc however the lasers were not capable melting tanks instead disrupted enemy electronics

[@eff3ct375]

@@Admin-gm3lc object 195- early prototype of t-14 armata Object 99- ramka 99( also known as Terminator) Object 257- IS-7 Object 287- it was one of The prototypes submited for The contest for The new russian tank, won by The t-90 If The russian ships are "projects" The tank are "objects"

[@najlitarvan921]

keter or euclid class?

[@radiofm4265]

War Thunder players: I fear no man... But that thing... it scares me

[@thetigerii9506]

Dm53 at 9.0: you guys hear anything?

[@robert.m6755]

Obj 279 at 8.3 initially🥲

[@liebestaube5686]

laughs in 15cm sIG

[@aggromando7323]

I’m not stuck on planes. This is a cool change! Doing more stuff like this is awesome.

[@AsbestosMuffins]

"Demetri go tension the center tracks!" "But how!?"

[@emperorfancypants2512]

Don't even talk to me about landmines

[@user-xv6oc4uj6h]

Да легко. Там же люки в днище есть)

[@qq315465327]

4:40 "on a single tank of gasoline" -> no its diesel fuel

[@ryangibson2189]

Was literally about comment this XD

[@xactly100beers8]

He puts at least one glaring error like this in every single video. I swear he's doing it deliberately

[@elt39]

It hasn't been scrapt, it is still at display at the kubinka tank museum

[@s3dchr]

It's in the video...

[@elt39]

@@s3dchr He literally says at 0:28 that the only prototype was SCRAPT before production

[@s3dchr]

@@elt39 Are you trolling? A: it's *scrapped, and B: at 7:06 he mentions the preserved tank in the museum.

[@narmale]

"on a single tank... of gasoline" uh... didnt you just say it was a diesel engine there mate?

[@jasoncentore1830]

Holy Shit it gets gas mileage like my Hemi Ram Bighorn

[@hrench]

A diesel tank's range isn't on a "single tank of gasoline."

[@penzlic]

It could be multifuel

[@Silver_Prussian]

I can say the same for the filthy gas turbines

[@joe_lemmons8830]

I remember seeing these things in one of the later levels of Metal Gear Solid 3 and I always wondered about them. Thanks for this vid 👍

[@unclestone8406]

Groznyj Grad's Object 279s were some nice cover up in the base's northwest, good memories of tranquilizing every guard and dog in range under the hulls of those treaded Frisbees 😎

[@szechuan.sheridan1670]

I bought this tank as a model kit literally yesterday, how convenient

[@danap.235]

You could also say that you are walking in the Spirit. God Bless You and Your Family.

[@rankovasek1987]

6:38 Accurate simulation of what would happen if this tank tried to cross a bridge

[@mann2520]

Well, it's about time I took a break from Aeroplanes

[@Rsmmt1009]

Amazing how a year later and we get to see an "operational" 279 moving! You never quite know what is out there. Great vid.

[@val82791]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mqq8eGyunq1qp6c

[@Man-zr5wp]

Glorious soviet engineering and also a glorious stalin moon rover

[@kafkaesk3449]

papa stalin would be proud

[@manuwilson4695]

Glorious?!!!....maintainance and repair of those tracks would have been a nightmare 🙄. Impractical, silly Soviet era fantasy!

[@manuwilson4695]

@@kafkaesk3449...the mass murderer of his own people?...🤔

[@kafkaesk3449]

@@manuwilson4695 r/whoooosh

[@daisiesofdoom]

Soviet engineering has a pretty high failure rate

[@andersmalmsten7266]

One note to your video. In the beginning you state that the prototype was cancelled and scrapped. But one prototype of the Object 279 should be on display at Kubinka tank museum in Russia if I remember correctly.

[@andersmalmsten7266]

@Trooper darn, missed that then. Thanks :)

[@aerofan3827]

There is one Obj. 279 in working condition and there are recent video clips on youtube showing that. 🙂

[@bartskinthepro3138]

Woah woah a tank video! Its a TONK

[@nathansmith1085]

I am all for these types of videos! Keep branching out, while also staying on topic!

[@d3adwaffles]

The Soviets really know how to make their names interesting

[@DocWolph]

Modern engine and modern gun and Object 279 would actually be pretty dangerous today. But not being able to safely cross bridges or wrecking them if it did, is a definitely drawback. Also, if someone told me this was totally fictional from some video game, I would not be able to question it.

[@moctarjohnson8887]

This tank is impenetrable from every angle but the rear of the hull and the side and rear of the turret, fantastic design.

[@dreamburn1]

I didn’t realize this was considered an aviation only channel. I just thought you did a lot of episodes on planes. I would be interested in any fascinating would-have-been tech information. Planes, trains, automobiles, tanks, boats, weapons, gadgets-gimme gimme. :-)

[@viper7502]

War Thunder overpressure mechanics: "Bonjour"

[@volcano.mitchell]

Wow I didn't even know something like that exists.

[@AnkitKumar-fo2iz]

Everyday you come with a new video.. that's pure dedication towards increasing our knowledge about these fantastic things

[@foxgaming76yt24]

Indeed

[@FoundAndExplained]

Thank you so much 😀 I wouldn't do it if you didn't come every time to watch them :)

[@AnkitKumar-fo2iz]

@@FoundAndExplained that's dedication from our side 😁

[@ReggieMarshale]

It’s great that you starts to expand your topic variety. I recommend in a future video, you should also show gun caliber and armor thickness in both inches and millimeters as the military plebs mainly use millimeters. Nevertheless, keep on with the great work!

[@nauticalresearchdevelopmen8841]

Great video! I always wanted to see a good quality video of a tank on the platform!

[@mrpoool1015]

I'd gladly see more videos about land based vehicles, the quality of your videos makes these topics very enjoyable to watch.

[@jmstudios5294]

Everything you post is fantastic, planes, tanks, naval, etc

[@ozloop69]

Love the new content it’s enjoyable and it also fits in with your original title found and explained doesn’t just have to be planes so thank you it was interesting

[@cyrilio]

Totally love this new content.

[@danb2234]

Glad to see you exploring other areas!

[@Aegelis]

Great video, just the right length and level of explanation for me to understand. Nice pictures and illustrations, this would be excellent for history class.

[@clarencehopkins7832]

Excellent stuff bro

[@davidmok108]

Planes and tanks are my favourite!! Well done on the content and graphics!

[@blkmgk16]

Never heard of you until you did this video glad you did!

[@gustauvkruger3721]

I'm always up for more content!!

[@heavilyarmedhippie75]

I really like the branching out to new topics

[@PaulStewartAviation]

Another great video!

[@MrRedfire2005]

First I've heard of this. You covered it well.

[@NickVanRegenmorter]

Inner tracks on quad track tanks have a huge downside, they are nearly impossible to field fix making a sitting duck if the inner treads break

[@ChessMasterNate]

Not necessarily. That track can just be cut and abandoned...which is something you can't do with any other tank. Or after it rolls off the track, the track can be repaired and fed back on. This should be easier to fix, not harder. It is conceivable, with all those additional parts, it could be more prone to problems. If it fails in the swamp, that was always going to be a problem. And speaking of that problem, they would have needed one heck of an all-terrain crane to get these out. That and the bridge issue would probably be sufficient to reject the tank. Dually tracks have been done, Bagger 288, and NASA's crawler-transporters have them. I liked this tank ever since the first time I saw a picture of it, maybe 15 years ago. I think they could have worked on making it lighter and faster. Improved the strength of the metal with alloys and got it down to say 45 tons. I do wonder if they made it so the inner tracks can move at a different speed than the outside tracks. If they didn't, it will be prone to track damage when turning. That would be one more reason to kill it, if true.

[@robert.m6755]

@@ChessMasterNate this tank is not heavy compared to western designs.

[@ImAFatCheezIt]

Been watching since 400 subscribers, and it's only gotten better.

[@That501stDude]

Until you started talking, I assumed this was a ConeOfArc video. Very pleasantly surprised, keep it up!

[@ArnBrickJeff]

Been awhile since i've come here, and you gained 40k subs, congo

[@robertshindeliii]

Gotta say, I don't mind hearing about tanks. Weapons of war are just awesome, keep it up!

[@douglasfaichnie6931]

Epic stuff! I don’t mind non-aviation videos if they’re as fascinating as this. 👌

[@jamesmatthews3001]

What a nice surprise! Love the channel, could you dedicate one to tanks as well?

[@frostbyte6733]

Keep going with new stuff. It doesn't matter what you do it on , i'll most likely watch it :)

[@CharlesFlahertyB]

Who remembers this from MGS 3?

[@das81]

Meaning Kojima is not a very realistic guy...

[@ankngmg]

Now this makes me want you to make an another video about prototype tank.. Nice vid btw keep it up

[@G1NZOU]

I've seen a recent video from last month where they're trying to restore the prototype to a functional state, engine sounded relatively healthy considering, and it was driven a short distance

[@mikesdungeon8398]

Hey I'm up for whatever you want to post I'm up for weird, unbuilt, lost or interesting objects I started watching your channel because of the plains but if you want to cover cars and tanks that never got out of the prototyping phase more power to you... I love these strange creations that people thought up 😁

[@AdjutorMusic]

Turtle tank lol love how this thing looks and would have loved to see this IRL. Loved this video mate!

[@deadstop4434]

It is in the kubinka tank museum in Russia along with the maus

[@rorirocks6663]

I think you should do more videos on other types of vehicles, this video was refreshing

[@funnyman4311]

I think that we should have more tank videos. There are some super strange, weird, and wacky tanks that I think you should make a video on. There are vehicles like the object 490, the super tank project that I think you'd be quite interested in. If you find this comment, you make excellent content, and I will never get tired of your videos.

[@serpico1616]

Anyone who plays World of Tanks knows this tank pretty much broke the game.

[@robert.m6755]

No, WoT is the experimental less powerful version. The real monster that you see here is found on WarThunder. Having more than a 1000 matches with this tank, I can assure you that it destroys everything it faces from its eta.

[@robert.m6755]

Era*

[@comrademartinofrappuccino]

IF only they added spawn cost and bridge phycics

[@StrikeWyvern]

@@robert.m6755 I've eaten direct bullpup hits with mine lmao

[@LeadFollower551]

You guys don't even have the 279 you guys got a Object 726 renamed as a Object 279E

[@MharielKent11]

This is one of my favorite channels in youtube but found and explained is my NUMBER ONE ♥️

[@FoundAndExplained]

Wow, thank you!

[@SithBerserker1488]

As a full On Aviation and Jet lover, I like that you explore other war machine projects as well.

[@hughie522]

Awesome video. "Object 279" sounds like an SCP. I actually mistook the tank in the thumbnail for Chrysler's TV-8. If you decide to do another tank video, that's one I'd like to see you cover

[@rgerber]

i just looked that up. What the hell is this thing!

[@rayceeya8659]

I subscribed because I like planes and cold war history. This checks one of those boxes so I'm cool with that

[@a_kul_customer]

Hey I like them both. Keep them coming.

[@sr707ca8]

Keep making what ever videos you like dont let nay sayers hold you back your doing great 👍

[@KekusMagnus]

I love how you very clearly used Warthunder's model of the tank in the video

[@orue5499]

Your videos helped expand my knowledge and interest in the cold war, its a very strange time, unique specialized designs, strange stories of insane events that maybe never happened. A bunch of secret stuff that we can finally look into since its well, not secret anymore, but yeah, truly a tense time of human history

[@jasoncentore1830]

Great Video, it doesn't always have to be planes, unusual vehicles of any type are interesting. A good one people might like, research Leternau Snow Train. Great Job!!!

[@tootired76]

I like planes. And tanks. And trains and all other mechanical things. Nice video!!

[@knobjob2839]

It's almost like this tank was.....cursed by design!....ba-dum-chhhh!

[@abhinavkalyan2880]

a very good video to more mechanised stuff dont limit to just aviation

[@ethanentwistle7454]

Love this

[@ricktow66lcc83]

Love the video. Love to learn about Soviet armored vehicles!

[@icetea8946]

I read somewhere that the inner tracks were impossible to repair in combat and even out of combat without a repair facility. I also read that even facilities that housed T-10s (IS-8s) would of had difficulties dealing with the 279

[@WoolfJ35]

Oh we're doing this now?! HELLS YEAH

[@velling12]

do more of these please:)

[@chuckw1113]

Um no. If you go to Kubinka (the Russian equivalent of Aberdeen Proving Grounds) you can see their development museum. All of the vehicles are given the name Object XXX, such as Object 279. This particular vehicle, Object 279, was designed to fight in the Pripyat Marshes, a large expanse of swampy terrain on the Russian Western border. The hull has a large expanse of voids between its sheet metal hull and armored hull underneath. The voids and the extra tracks gave it greater mobility in swampy terrain. The real reason it was canceled was it made no sense to spend a lot of money for vehicles that were only useful in a limited area. In Kubinka they refer to it as the Swamp Tank. Besides which, when it was designed at a time when the Soviets had their T-55 main battle tanks and T-10Ms as heavy tanks (which were over 52 tons) for fighting other tanks.

[@edwardfletcher7790]

The quad track design is really interesting...

[@nairbvel]

Definitely not an aircraft, but a fascinating foray into a type of land vehicle that one would expect to see only in movies. (I'm also thinking it's odd to pick a shape that would help defend against one or two nuclear blast waves but that would almost certainly channel possibly dozens or more incoming anti-tank weapons directly into the treads & fuel reservoirs...)

[@oxcart4172]

OK, it's a tank video, but u still FIRED it out of the park!

[@wargaming727]

I like the tank content, I feel like you should make more, as there is only soo many wierd planes you can talk about before you run out of things to talk about....well untill more planes get introduce or old prototypes get found. also I feel like you should do a video on the Chrysler TV-8, as you did a video on the tank that survives nuclear blasts, so why not a video on the tank that had a nuclear engine. (the Chrysler TV-8)

[@AmericanTacticalFighter]

awesome

[@icyanplays3440]

I enjoy you talking about all subjects not just air, should do some navy as well if you can find anything

[@Bigheadguyfromsmolmovie]

Stalininium is really stronk

[@stevelenores5637]

"Class, can you say neutron bomb." Tank will survive but not the crew and the electronics.

[@Bananaiguess]

"COMMANDER WE NEED TO RETREAT!" "Wha- huh why?" "4 tire marks." "TURN BACK ALL!"

[@werewolfman186]

i love all your content 😂😂

[@matthewgeist1067]

Great stuff I don't mind something different thank you

[@jehoiakimelidoronila5450]

It's good F&E notified us viewers to clarify the content we're watching.

[@breezyx976]

FoundAndExplained: cool thing! look! his subs: but can it fly?

[@athiftsabit1208]

More tank please!

[@riliryrimaddyvia9630]

This was a interesting video,hope this does well

[@FoundAndExplained]

I hope so too

[@fernandoqueirozpopovic7024]

Can't wait till he starts the Tonk video sometime soon, because it will blow his mind

[@mrmtn37]

Great Video, Cool Tank M.A.D. renders any discussion of ground based operations including any mechanized or mounted troops an acts of words being wind! M.utually A.ssured D.estruction

[@gonavygreg5203]

What an awesome design

[@FirstDagger]

I always felt that this channel was meant for not only aircraft.

[@BrainFuck10]

You should do a video on the Chrysler TV-8 nuclear powered tank concept

[@matheuvsperin]

More tanks pls