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applicability in the airdrop field. The country's largest developer and producer of parachutes is the Kras firm, which has factories and research centers located near Brno. Kras has been commended for the development of outstanding military and sport parachutes during the past 3 years. Research and production of parachute material is conducted by the firm Stuhy a Prymky. Its production rate of nylon and perlon parachute cording, webbing, and strap material for the armed forces is estimated to exceed 32 million feet per year.
In recent years Czechoslovakia has shown increased capabilities for development of sophisticated POL-handling equipment for military use. Among these are the design, development, and production of various types of collapsible storage containers that can be parachuted, transported by truck, floated on water, or towed by tugboat. Other POL-handling equipment required for support of military requirements is of the conventional type produced locally.
In the field of individual clothing and equipment, the army utilizes new synthetic materials, plastics, and finishes in the components of combat clothing and individual equipment to increase durability and to better serve functional purposes, such as protection against the elements, climatic extremes, corrosion, and visual and photographic detection. New impregnating agents have decreased the water permeability of clothing, and new fiber blends and finishes have made them resistant to flame, grease, and abrasion. U.S. research and development agencies have determined recently that the Czechoslovak Army's combat suit represents highly significant advances in clothing design and camouflage capabilities. There is no known research underway on materials-handling equipment, rations, packaging, and tentage specifically for military use.
2. Biological and chemical warfare (S)
Czechoslovakia has the best developed microbiological capability among the Communist countries. Many of the most competent researchers have been engaged in research that has BW potential, in particular, BW defense. During the early 1960's, authorities initiated an accelerated defensive BW research program that included research on the rapid identification and decontamination of BW agents and in immunology. Much of the rapid intensification work was completed during 1965-69. In the early 1970's, emphasis was on immunology and therapy of viral and rickettsial diseases and hybridization of viruses.
Scientists at the Military Institute of Hygiene, Epidemiology, and Microbiology, Prague, which is subordinate to the Ministry of National Defense, have been conducting research on a number of microorganisms of potential BW significance. This research includes the viruses causing Monkey B disease, lymphocytic choriomeningitis, tickborne encephalitis, smallpox, rabies, Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis, and rubella. Work also has been done with Pasteurella tularensis, Bacillus anthracis, Leptospira species, and Q-fever and typhus group rickettsia. Many of these are well known candidate BW agents, and some are exotic agents which pose no public health problems in Czechoslovakia.
The Czechoslovaks are well versed in the techniques of microbiological aerosols and have conducted aerosol infection studies on many candidate BW agents. The Czechoslovaks are working on aerosol phenomena, including cloud physics, industrial gas cleansing devices, respiratory aerosol penetration, sampling and filtration of microbial aerosols, and the differential thermal analysis of aerosols. Some research on aerosol vaccines have been accomplished at the Military Medical Research and Postgraduate Institute (formerly Military Medical Academy Jan Purkyne) in Brno. Although the Czechoslovaks were once leaders in aerobiology, the overall level of aerosol research appears to appreciably lag behind Western efforts. In biomedically oriented aerosol research, however, excellent work continues to be done by some individual scientists.
Czechoslovakia has signed and in mid-1972 ratified the 1972 United Nations convention on the prohibition of the development, production, and stockpiling of bacteriological (biological) and toxin weapons and on their destruction. This convention permits research with microbial or other biological agents and toxins (whatever their origin or method of production) for prophylactic, protective, or peaceful purposes. Despite budgetary and personnel cuts in the scientific domain and the signature of the United Nations convention, Czechoslovakia is expected to continue with research and training in a realistic BW defensive program.
Research related to chemical warfare (CW) is oriented primarily toward the study of the mechanism of action of nerve agents, natural poisons, and psychotropic compounds. Excellent research on the pharmacology and toxicity of stereoisomerism of organophosphorus compounds could well support a nerve agent development program. Natural poisons, particularly the bacterial toxins, and the hallucinogenic plant alkaloids are being studied extensively. Research on bacterial toxins (e.g., botulinum toxin, may lead to the development of such
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APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R000200110012-0
