1943年初,车里雅宾斯克基洛夫工厂的第二设计局正在全力研制斯大林重型坦克。作为配套项目,第二设计局同时开始了使用斯大林坦克底盘的重型自行火炮的研制。按照最初的设计新式自行火炮将安装ML-20型152毫米榴弹炮。第二设计局将该计划称为241工程。同年7月,第241工程的样车就顺利下线,并立即送到莫斯科接受斯大林的审查。斯大林对第241工程非常满意,给予高度评价。于是仅仅经过了两个月的试验,国防人民委员会就将其定型为ISU-152,并要求在1943年11月起投入批量生产。 In early 1943, the Second Design Bureau of the Chelyabinsk Kirov plant was working hard to develop Stalin’s heavy tanks. As a supporting project, the Second Design Bureau also started the development of heavy self-propelled guns using Stalin’s tank chassis. According to the original design of new self-propelled artillery will be installed ML-20 152 mm howitzer. Second Design Bureau called the project 241 project. In July of the same year, the prototype of the 241st project was smoothly off-line and immediately sent to Moscow for review by Stalin. Stalin was very satisfied with the 241st project and spoke highly of it. It took only two months for the trial to be finalized by the People’s Committee of National Defense as ISU-152 and to be put into mass production starting from November 1943.