he T-44 is a medium tank first developed and produced near the end of World War II by the Soviet Union. It was the successor to the T-34, offering improved ride and cross-country performance and much greater armor. Designed to be equipped with an 85 mm main gun, by the time it was fully tested the T-34 had also moved to this weapon. Both tanks offered similar performance, so introducing the T-44 was not considered as important as increasing T-34 production. Fewer than 2,000 T-44s were built, compared to about 58,000 T-34s. Although the T-44 was available by the end of the war, it was not used in combat. However, if it were used in combat it would have been a significant upgrade to the T-34. Its upper front plate could withstand a hit from the German 88mm guns (KwK 36 and KwK 43) found on the Tiger I and Tiger II. It was also 1 ton lighter than the T-34-85 and slightly faster.