Rare Soviet-Era Object 14 Resurfaces in Ukrainian Military Service

The first public images of the Soviet prototype of the Object 14 amphibious tank, developed at the Kharkiv Tractor Plant since the 1980s, have surfaced on the web.

According to the Telegram channel “Russia No Context,” the prototype of the combat vehicle seems to have been repaired and transferred to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

“…In our time it was discovered under the rubble after a Russian missile strike, restored, and now it serves in one of the brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” the author explains.

Judging by certain signs, the combat vehicle was really located on the territory of the Kharkiv Tractor Plant. However, the fact of its restoration and use as a combat vehicle by the Ukrainian military could not be verified.

Object 14

According to the researcher of armored vehicles, Andrii Tarasenko, this tank was developed as part of the Sprut-S project, an amphibious vehicle with a tank gun, which was launched in the 1970s.

The light amphibious tank was designed to force large water obstacles in the course of a potential defense breakthrough in the event of war with the countries of the North Atlantic Alliance. The terrain of the latter is known to be rich in numerous rivers and reservoirs.

Several design bureaus of the USSR, in particular the Kharkiv Tractor Plant, worked on the project simultaneously, creating several competitive prototypes at once.

The tank was developed in versions with 125mm and even 152mm guns (Verba and Olha projects).

Judging by the external signs, the tank in the published photos is equipped with a gun and a fire control system similar to the Soviet Т-64B tank. Presumably, this may be a 1А33 fire control system with the 1G42 gunner’s sight.

The chassis of a Kharkiv vehicle may be similar to the chassis of a MT-LB light armored tractor, but not in this case. In its design, the experimental chassis was used, known as the Planer (Glider – ed.) designation.

In addition to the main armament, the tank is also equipped with a heavy machine gun and a Tucha smoke grenade launcher.

The origin of the tank engine remains unknown. Judging by the frames of the vehicle with a 152mm gun, it lacks the 5TD exhaust system traditional for the engines of the family with gas output in the aft part.