All development was cancelled in 1960, as part of Nikita Khrushchev's wish to abandon what he deemed obsolete heavy tanks, and re-focus efforts on ATGMs.

[2] In 1956, the GBTU (main armour directorate of the USSR) laid out the tactical and technical requirements for a new heavy tank.

Shashmurin and N.M. Chistyakov decided to unify the layout of their designs, instead varying only in the engine.

[2] This halted the development of all 3 of the vehicles and, with a new focus on MBTs and ATGMs, consigned heavy tanks to history.

The gun was stabilised with the "Groza" system and was attached to a TPDS stereoscopic rangefinder sight.

[4] The Obiekt 277 had impressive armour characteristics: the cast turret varied from 290mm to 139mm, at angles from 30° to 55° from the vertical.

[1] Despite the tank's weight of 55 tons, the engine and transmission could propel the vehicle to a maximum speed of 55 km/h.