Beginning in 1945, several new tank designs were drawn up to replace the IS-2. Object 703 was not the first new design, but it was the first to enter production, hence its designation of IS-3. It did not leave the factories in time to see any fighting, but it was present at the victory parade in Berlin, where it drew the concerned gaze of the other Allied powers.
Nothing about the IS-3 was particularly unique, but both the execution and combination of certain design elements seemed, at first glance, to be quite effective. For instance, the pike nose had first appeared on the A7V, then again on the A38 Valiant. Round turrets were certainly not unique either, but no tank turret had such a low profile or angles so severe before. Finally, the 122mm gun was the new standard for Soviet heavy tanks, making up for a low rate of fire with sheer power. All that said, the IS-3 was not nearly as reliable as its predecessor, and was terribly cramped, even by Soviet standards. A modernised version was produced in the 1950s that addressed some of the problems with this tank, but it was ultimately replaced with the T-10, at which time most IS-3s were sold to either Egypt or Syria, where they performed quite poorly.
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