The Most Famous Failed Tank Concepts Explained

Some of the most ambitious tanks ever designed never reached mass production. They were too heavy, too complicated, too specialized, or simply arrived after the battlefield had already changed. In this episode of TheWarExplained, we explore 14 famous failed tank concepts from World War II through the Cold War. These experimental tanks pushed armor, firepower, mobility, automatic loading, missile technology, crew protection, and vehicle layout far beyond conventional designs. From America's M6A2E1, T57 Heavy Tank, and T92 Light Tank, to Britain's A43 Black Prince, A39 Tortoise, FV4005 Stage II, and FV215, each vehicle was built around a real battlefield requirement. Some needed heavier armor. Others needed larger guns, faster loading systems, or enough firepower to defeat increasingly powerful enemy tanks. Soviet engineers went even further with the extremely low-profile Object 416, missile-armed Object 775 and Object 287, the powerful 152.4 mm Object 292, and radical next-generation designs such as Object 490 and Object 477 Molot. Sweden followed a completely different path with the articulated UDES XX 20, a tank concept divided into two connected tracked sections. These machines were not simply bad tanks. In many cases, they successfully solved one engineering problem while creating another. More armor reduced mobility. Larger guns consumed internal space. Automatic loaders increased mechanical complexity. Guided missiles demanded reliable electronics. Extremely low hulls reduced visibility and crew space. Radical layouts made maintenance and operation harder. Some programs were also defeated by changing military requirements. The T92 was overtaken by the demand for amphibious capability, while vehicles such as FV4005 and FV215 faced a battlefield where anti-tank guided missiles were becoming increasingly attractive alternatives to enormous tank guns. This is the story of what happens when tank designers push one idea almost to its limit — and discover where the compromise finally breaks. Which of these failed tank concepts do you think had the best chance of becoming a successful production vehicle? CHAPTERS 0:00 The Problem With Building the Perfect Tank 1:29 M6A2E1 2:47 A43 Black Prince 3:59 A39 Tortoise 5:40 T57 Heavy Tank 7:06 T92 Light Tank 8:26 FV4005 Stage II 10:05 FV215 11:37 Object 416 12:46 Object 775 14:04 Object 287 15:23 Object 292 16:40 UDES XX 20 18:27 Object 490 19:44 Object 477 Molot 21:33 Why These Tank Concepts Failed The video follows the same 14-vehicle progression reflected in the script, including the American, British, Soviet and Swedish experimental designs. The script specifically covers the M6A2E1, Black Prince and Tortoise before moving through later U.S., British and Cold War concepts. SOURCES & FURTHER READING The Tank Museum — British and experimental armored vehicle history, including A43 Black Prince, A39 Tortoise and FV4005 U.S. Army historical publications and armored vehicle references — American experimental tank programs including T92 Historical technical references covering Soviet experimental tank projects, missile tanks and late-Cold-War armored vehicle development Swedish armored vehicle development references covering the UDES experimental program TheWarExplained covers military history, experimental weapons, armored warfare, unusual vehicle concepts and the technology behind war. #TankHistory #ExperimentalTanks #MilitaryHistory