The Heavy Tank T29 was an American heavy tank project started in March 1944 to counter the new German heavy tanks. The T26E3 (M26 Pershing), weighing around 45 tonnes, was not considered heavily enough armed or armored to counter the Tiger II, which weighed closer to 70 tonnes. The T29 was not ready in time for the war in Europe, but it did provide post-war engineers with opportunities for testing the engineering concepts in artillery and automotive components. The T29 featured a coincidence rangefinder projecting from both sides of the turret.