Object 195 T-95: An unfinished Soviet tank platform.
Leaked technical drawings showed Object 195 T-95 aiming for a 152mm gun, a separate armored crew compartment, and protection equivalent to 1,000/1,500mm; the program was halted, and the T-14 inherited the idea but progressed slowly.
Leaked original technical drawings of Object 195 (often unofficially called T-95) revealed a groundbreaking main battle tank design: a 152mm main gun, a separate armored crew compartment with remote turret control, and protection equivalent to 1,000mm against kinetic energy penetrator rounds and 1,500mm against shaped-charge rounds. The project reached the prototype stage but was halted after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Since 2015, the T-14 Armata has inherited many ideas from Object 195 but has consistently fallen behind schedule, while international competitors have accelerated their development.
Program Overview
Based on a "set of recently leaked authentic schematics," 3D artist Gustiiz3D has created a detailed rendering of Object 195. If successful, this would be the first completely new design to be commissioned into the Soviet armored forces since the T-64 (1964). Object 195 was expected to provide a lasting advantage for the late 1990s or early 2000s.
Historical context and the armored race
The T-64 was nearly two decades ahead of Western tanks in technology: a 125mm smoothbore gun, fin-stabilized kinetic energy penetrator rounds (APFSDS), and composite armor. This design was further significantly upgraded in the 1970s and 1980s, while the T-72 (simplified, low-cost) and T-80 (more expensive, more mobile) entered service in 1973 and 1975, respectively.
Despite being less capable than the T-64/T-80, the reduced-performance export versions of the T-72 still demonstrated superiority over their Western counterparts in the Lebanon War and the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s. However, the emergence of the Leopard 2 and M1A1 Abrams has narrowed the capability gap.
Technical analysis Object 195
Main firepower
- The 152mm smoothbore cannon is planned to be equipped, aiming for significantly higher armor-piercing capabilities compared to the earlier Soviet 125mm standard.
Protect and survive
- The reported level of protection is equivalent to 1,000mm against kinetic energy penetrator rounds and 1,500mm against shaped-charge rounds.
- The design features a three-person crew seated in a separate armored compartment, remotely controlling the turret and main gun.
Shape and layout
- The siloette is even lower than the T-64, partly due to the crew being positioned inside the hull, reducing the target area.
Progress, Cancellations, and Legacy
Although it reached the prototype stage, Object 195 was halted due to the collapse of the Soviet Union and the subsequent industrial and technological decline in Russia. In 2015, Russia introduced the T-14 Armata, which incorporated many ideas from Object 195, but at a "reduced level of ambition" to fit its budget and industrial capabilities.
The T-14 program has been consistently behind schedule, leaving its future uncertain into the mid-2020s. Meanwhile, China is said to have commissioned the Type 100, while the US and South Korea are pursuing the M1E3 and K3.
Summary comparison table
| Criteria | T-64 | Object 195 (T-95) | T-14 Armata |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firepower | 125mm smoothbore cannon | 152mm artillery (planned) | Inheriting the idea from Object 195 |
| Crew arrangement | Traditional crew, automatic loading | Three people, separate armored compartment, remote controlled. | Separate crew compartment, unmanned turret. |
| Protect | Complex armor | Equivalent to 1,000mm (KE) / 1,500mm (HEAT) | A similar idea, optimized for post-Soviet conditions. |
| Status | Officially in service since 1964 | Stop at the prototype stage | Introduced in 2015, progress is slow. |
Impact and prospects
The T-14's delays created a gap for its rivals to accelerate. Sources indicate that China has taken the lead with the Type 100, while the US and South Korea are catching up with the M1E3 and K3. Conversely, the T-90M is now considered on par with the M1A2 Abrams, and even the T-72 has shown its ability to counter the newly produced Abrams tanks. However, the sustainability of Russia's armored vehicle advantage remains questionable, as the country has yet to truly overcome the shadow of the T-64 and perfect a revolutionary successor platform like the Object 195.