The IS-3 is the third variant of the IS heavy tank family. The IS-3 featured a revolutionary front hull and turret design that would become the trademark of all postwar Soviet tanks until this day. Since the IS-3 differed from earlier designs in many ways, a thorough retooling was required for the first time. This took time, and the first three IS-3s rolled out of the factory in May 1945, ready to go into service in Germany under an independent Guards Battalion. When they arrived, though, the peace treaty had already been signed. Many more IS-3s were ready by the time of the August invasion of Manchuria, but there is little indication that they took part in these events. In the end, the IS-3 saw little action other than being stationed on numerous fronts during the Cold War. Due to a variety of difficulties, production was halted, and it was replaced with the IS-4, prototypes IS-6, IS-7, and, finally, the IS-8 (renamed T-10 after Stalin's death). Because of their lack of mobility, the Russians came to the same conclusion as their Western counterparts about heavy tanks. After the first MBT family was launched in 1953, this class of heavy tank was also abandoned, similar to those in the West.

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