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adhere to the regime's political line is controlled by 6-month contracts subject to renegotiation before renewal.
Most of the important CSAV institutes are in the Prague area, including the Microbiology Institute and the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, each employing about 400 scientists and technicians; the Institute for Macromolecular Chemistry, which had about 340 employees in 1969; and the Institute of Solid-State Physics.
Czechoslovakia does not appear to be faced with the problems of shortages of technical manpower. In fact, it produces more scientists, particularly chemists, than it can use effectively, and as a result many scientific graduates have accepted positions in other countries. Others have accepted positions in Czechoslovakia outside their field of specialization. In spite of the purges and defections, the scientific and technical manpower situation has not deteriorated significantly. The younger scientists have filled the gap left by the loss of about 1,000 research scientists and technicians since 1968 through resignations, dismissals, and emigration because of political factors. The total number of persons engaged in research increased from about 124,000 in 1965 to about 147,700 by the end of 1971. Approximately 13% of the total are associated with the CSAV and the affiliated SAV, 64% are employed by industry, 4% are concerned with construction, and the remainder are in such areas as health, agriculture and food processing, transportation, and communications.
Research facilities at the various centers and laboratories are quite modern. Some of the CSAV institutes and the institutes under the government ministries have the best equipment and facilities, whereas the facilities of the higher educational institutions tend to be less modern except in those cases where applied research is being done. The CSAV Institute of Nuclear Research at Rez is well equipped with a research reactor, cyclotron, accelerator, modern betaray spectrographic equipment, and electronic instrumentation.
Czechoslovakia has a good capability for production of modern instruments and is able to supply other Communist countries. The government is aware of the fact that many of the CSAV institutes are located in old buildings and are short of laboratory space and has earmarked future funds for new buildings and equipment.
D. Major research fields
1. Air, ground, and naval weapons (S)
Czechoslovakia's capability for weapons research and development exceeds that of other East European countries, but it is very limited when compared with international standards. Soviet pressure has diverted the nation's resources away from systems development; consequently, most of its operational combat weapons are being supplied by the U.S.S.R. The greatest capability exists in the development and production of small aircraft and ground weapons. Although shipbuilding activity is underway at the Kimarno yards, evidence is lacking to indicate any naval weapon application or association.
The Czechoslovak aircraft industry leads the Warsaw Pact in the development and production of small utility, sport/aerobatic, and jet trainer aircraft. The output of jet trainers is sufficient to meet Warsaw Pact requirements. The Czechoslovak L-29 Delfin (MAYA) single engine, two-seat aircraft (Figure 2) has been the standard jet trainer for the Warsaw Pact forces, and as of March 1973, approximately 3,500 L-29's had been produced at the Vodochody plant in Prague. However, the L-39 advanced jet trainer, designed as a follow-on to the MAYA, has entered production and has been selected as the advanced jet trainer for the Warsaw Pact; 1,500 of these subsonic, two-seat tandem, single-engine aircraft are being built (Figure 3). Also in early 1973 the Czechoslovaks signed an arms agreement to provide 50 of these aircraft to Iraq. Production of the L-410 Turbolet light transport (Figure 4) has increased to three per month at the Kunovice plant, with a total accumulative production approaching 50 aircraft. The Czechoslovaks are making a strenuous effort in several European countries to market the L-410.
Continuing interest in the development of rotary-wing aircraft is reflected by the efforts of Czechoslovakia's Aero Group, which is building several prototypes of the new HC-4 helicopter at its Orlican Plant in eastern Bohemia. Essentially a derivative of the experimental HC-3 five-place helicopter of about 1960-61, the newly designed HC-4 offers increased capacity of up to seven places and is powered by a 700 shaft-horsepower Walter M-601 turbine engine. There is a possibility of Czechoslovakia's entering into a cooperative program with the Polish aircraft industry in the production of the HC-4.
The Czechoslovaks have a limited capability for aircraft engine research and development, and most of
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