Conversion Of Military Enterprises

Dear Reader, Before you begin to study this book please be aware of the complexity of the "Conversion of Military Enterprises in Russia", The question of conversion is not only a change of the market and products it is in the former socialist and now "on the way of privatisation" -countries a complete reorganisation of the social structure and companies. In the past a performance of the Russian armaments' industry was a continual source of surprise to experts. It was obvious that apart from civilian industry there must be areas where important technological expertise had been created and built up. Since 5 years, conversion of military enterprise has been the principal topic of numerous conferences and studies. State institutions and international organisations can promote and accelerate the exchange of information and the restructuring process. However, the success of this process ultimately depends on how the economy will accept this change and how far market economy forces-can develop it. The NATO Advanced Research Workshop "Conversion of Military Enterprises in Russia- A Practical Approach of Industry and Science" was an excellent possibility for all participants from NATO-countries and from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus to discuss experiences and results after 5 years of reform period, All participating scientists noticed this aspect was proud to participate in this NATO event.

This text discusses the economic, social and political implications of redirecting labour and capital from a military-based to a post-Cold War economy.

Recent political developments imply a much larger part of our economy will be devoted to civilian enterprises and a much smaller part to military work than in the recent past. This book examines the impact on the technical community, particularly engineers, of the conversion of defense-related industries to civilian-oriented activities. Currently about one third of all engineers work on military projects, and four fifths of all federal research and development is defense-related. The essays in this volume are by academic researchers (in disciplines ranging from psychology and philosophy to economics and engineering), engineers and managers from companies that work on military projects, and representatives of some of the professional societies of engineers. They address the questions: What will be the impact on the technical community of the economic conversion? What effect will the technical community have on the conversion? What actions can one take to minimize the destructive and maximize the constructive effects of the conversion? What are the implications for engineering education, professional work, and public policy?

Countries establish defence industries for various reasons. Chief among these are usually a concern with national security, and a desire to be as independent as possible in the supply of the armaments which they believe they need. But defence industries are different from most other industries. Their customer is governments. Their product is intended to safeguard the most vital interests of the state. The effectiveness of these products (in the real, rather than the experimental sense) is not normally tested at the time of purchase. If, or when, it is tested, many other factors (such as the quality of political and military leadership) enter into the equation, so complicating judgments about the quality of the armaments, and about the reliability of the promises made by the manufacturers. All of these features make the defence sector an unusually political industrial sector. This has been true in both the command economies of the former Soviet Union and its satellites, and in the market or mixed economies of the west. In both cases, to speak only a little over-generally, the defence sector has been particularly privileged and particularly protected from the usual economic vicissitudes. In both cases, too, its centrality to the perceived vital interests of the state has given it an unusual degree of political access and support.

CONVERSION - in the meantime the term for the process of converting arms industry into industrial production of non-military goods - is becoming a key subject in the building of the eastern economies. These Proceedings contain all important presentations of an international Conference in Dortmund in 1992. Speakers were well known experts from economy, politics, science and military, thus this book gives an up-to-date, excellent overview.

"This study is the result of a survery of converted enterprises in the military-industrial complex"--Back cover.