This study analyzes the Russian defence industry and shows that successful conversion to civilian production is not only crucial to the future of Russia, but is also imperative for global security. The Russian defence industry, a "state within a state" stretching 6,000 miles from the Baltic to the Far East, has always been shrouded in secrecy. The fate of Russia depends, to a great extent, on whether the plants in the defence industry are revived in order to produce weapons for the "highest bidder", or reoriented to produce civilian products.
This study draws on documents released at the turn of the millennium to trace the militarization of the Russian economy, and to shed light on such key aspects of the Russian defense industry as: decision making in the Soviet defence industry; the "Big Five" and the Defence Council; the "headlong" race to convert by command; today's weapons of mass destruction - biological weapons and "nuclear suitcases"; environmental catastrophes and health problems; secret closed atomic cities; the devastating loss of intellectual capital; who really controls Russia's defence enterprises; and the new challenges of Internet marketing, global e-commerce, and international joint ventures. The 36 eminent international authors include David Bernstein, Marcus Feldman, Ambassador James Goodby, Ambassador Oleg Grinevsky, Michael Intriligator, Don Gerth, Vitaliy Shlykov, and Jonathan Tucker.
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Book details

• Format Hardcover
• Pages936 pages
• LanguageEnglish
• ISBN100970258704
• ISBN139780970258700