The Technological Problems with Sea-Dumped Chemical Weapons from the Standpoint of Defence Conversion Industries

Abstract

The Russian military-industrial complex (VPK, in Russian abbreviation) is currently looking for every opportunity to use its scientific and technical potential and the experience gained in the realisation of complex comprehensive programs. But economic conversion proceeds slowly, mainly because it does not take proper account of specific peculiarities in the Russian VPK which are unique not only due to the size, but also due to the super-specialisation of the majority of its enterprises, that are most often research, experimental design or product test structures. The parity reached in a number of modern weapons was conditioned not only by the production potential of the country, but also by the proposed original approach in tackling research and design problems. A unique school of engineering thought has formed in Russia, able to deal with complicated problems, including those of global ecology.