Comparing: VK 45.02 (P) Ausf. A vs. Kirovets-1

Development of this vehicle started in April 1942. The Krupp company received an order for construction of turrets. However, the prototype was never manufactured. The turrets were mounted on the first Tiger IIs.

The Kirovets-1 project (IS-3, prototype No. 1) was developed from July through November 1944. The prototype was built at the Chelyabinsk Kirov Plant in September–October 1944. From December 18 through December 24, 1944, the vehicle underwent trials at the NIBT proving grounds in Kubinka. After it was decided to manufacture a pilot series of the modified IS-2 with a hull proposed by engineers of Plant No. 100 and Сentral Research Institute-48, the work on the Kirovets-1 was discontinued.