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Article: An embarrassment of weapons. (defense conversion in Kazakhstan)(Special Issue: Kazakhstan) (Cover Story)
- Article from:
- Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
- Article date:
- October 1, 1993
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1993 Educational Foundation for Nuclear Science, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Conversion is a slow process, especially when weapons sales must be coordinated with Moscow.
More than 40 enterprises in Kazakhstan manufacture military equipment. Before the disintegration of the former Soviet Union, they all took orders from Moscow. But in the current political situation, Kazakhstan's arms industry represents something of a paradox.
Although the republic's seacoast is modest, Kazakhstan factories primarily produced weapons for the fleet--torpedoes, a variety of naval missiles, anti-torpedo technology, radio-electronic equipment, guidance systems, and launch pads.
The Kazakh defense industry always depended heavily on component ...