SOVIET CAPACITY TO PRODUCE PROXIMITY FUSES

Created: 8/8/1950

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

CEHTRAL DITELLIOniCE AflEBCI

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IHTELLIGEHCE IffiHORAHDTK

SUBJECT! Soviet Capaoity to Produce Proximity Fuses

Manufacturers within the Soviet orbit can not; produco limited quantities of radio-typo proximity fuses for artillery projectroduction con be made adequate to supply large quantities to tho Soviet armed forces. Information on US proximity fuses and samples novo been in Soviet hands for the pact five years. During this time, strenuous efforts havo been made toimilar fuse and tofor mass production^ .

Effective proximity fuses havo been produced in Sweden through the joint efforts of the Boforo and Philips ecapaniee. In Czechoslovakia, the production Gtege has been approached through the Joint efforts of the Military Technical Institute and the Tesln Nationalhe Czechoslovak and Swedish fuses are dose copies of US Kavy VT fuses. Although there is no conducive indication that Before has supplied fuse3 and technical information to the USSR, Bofors has demonstrated the fuses to representatives of nine nations for tho purpose of making sales in commoroial quantities. Czechoslovak progress in proximity fuses obviously is known to the USSR.

he Soviet bloc electronics industry has been striving to master production techniques and to build the machinery and equipment needed to make the three critical components of the proximity fuse (fllia-mentery subndniature tubes, capacitors, and batteries). Maes production capaoity of radio tubes in Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and tho USSR has been set upevel far beyond that necessary to meet normal radio Manufacturing methods for making proximity fuse batteries have boon established. Tho USSR has recently been procuring from the US large quantities of materials needed to make capacitors, the third critical component of tho proximity fuse.

There can be no doubt that proximity fuses are noi/ available for Soviet uso in United quantity. The problems remaining for the USSR in this field are to expand component manufacturing facilities and toprcoclrdty fuse production sufficiently to provide for the needs of Soviet armed forces.

Rotei This KGDorandun has not bean coordinated with the intelligence organisations of the Departments of State, Army, Navy, and the Air Force.

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Original document.

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