The Anatomy of Russian Defense Conversion - Hardcover

Holloway, David; Perry, William; Goody, James; Intrilgator, Michael; Hanson, Ward; Tucker, Jonathan

9780970258700: The Anatomy of Russian Defense Conversion

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0970258704 ISBN 13: 9780970258700

Publisher: Vega Pr, 2000

Contributions from American and Russian experts from academia, the military, government, and business analyze the conversion of the Russian defense industry, the factors limiting the accomplishment of this conversion, and prospects for improving the situation. After discussion of the historical context of the Soviet command economy and its emphasis on the military, 56 papers address topics related to East-West joint ventures, the loss of intellectual capital, environmental aspects, medical and demographic consequences of conversion, former biological warfare facilities, defense conversion in other countries, and international marketing challenges for civilian products. Editor Genin was a chief designer of major USSR defense and civilian enterprises, has been deeply involved in international business development, and is now affiliated with Stanford University and UCLA. Among the contributing authors are William Perry (former US Secretary of Defense), David Holloway (Institute for International Studies, Stanford U.), and Mike Intriligator (Center for International Relations, UCLA). Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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From the Publisher:

The Russian Defense Industry, a "state within a state", stretching 6,000 miles from the Baltic to the Far East, has always been a mystery "hidden behind seven sealed doors." The fate of Russia depends on whether its thousand "frozen" defense plants are "unfrozen" in order to produce weapons for the "highest bidder" or civilian products for its own people.

This book reveals why the success of Russian defense industry conversion remains a global imperative, not only for the future of Russia, but for the world as a whole.

From the Author:

Well before the breakup of the Soviet Union, the Gorbachev regime identified defense conversion as a crucial element of economic reform, since the preponderance of the Soviet economy's eggs had been put in the military basket. Their government did not, however, appreciate the difficulty of the challenge, and they approached it as the next step within the planned economy. Somewhat later the Russian government recognized the need for broader economic reforms to provide the context for defense conversion, but they also failed to recognize the time, investment, and reforms required for conversion, and hence did not achieve substantial conversion.

While Russia has the major responsibility for rebuilding its own economy, the rest of the industrialized world can and should assist the process, as individual countries and through international institutions. It is strongly in the economic and national security interest of all countries that Russia remains politically stable and becomes a major player on the international economic scene. To help the Russians achieve this, we must give them every reason to feel secure in their partnership with the West. This means close cooperation across a broad spectrum of security activities, from peacekeeping operations to transparent military reform, as well as direct economic cooperation. Their economic future depends on the nonmilitary utilization of their technological and industrial capacity, and this in turn depends upon a sense of national security.

William J. Perry
Former U.S. Secretary of Defense
Professor, Stanford University

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