Soviet Espionage Tech

January 3, 2018 7:07 PM

In this comment , Devonian claims that "it seems typical of Soviet high technology that such places [circuit mfg facilities] existed in isolation and were guarded jealously by their sponsors just as much from rivals within the system as from the West". I'm looking for further reading on that subject - how was technology used for espionage procured and developed in the USSR? Would different chains of command have access to different technologies?
posted by stinkfoot to Technology (3 answers total)

Best answer: Spufford's "Red Plenty" talks about the development of manufacturing tech, not necessarily espionage tech. It sheds light on the comment Devonian mentioned.
posted by JJ86 at 10:39 AM on January 4, 2018 [1 favorite]

At least tangentially related, you might enjoy this popular mechanics article on how we didn’t think anyone could do anything without active sonar when that is patently untrue.
posted by eglenner at 1:01 PM on January 4, 2018 [2 favorites]

I was going to recommend "Red Plenty" as well, although it has been a while since I have read it. It is one of the only good books I've yet come across that really explains how the Soviet industrial system worked.
posted by Kadin2048 at 8:58 PM on January 4, 2018 [1 favorite]