A COMPUTER LAG BY RUSSIA FOUND-- NEW YORK TIMES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP73B00296R000200130048-4
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 28, 2001
• Sequence Number: 48
• Content Type: NSPR

ApprgyM;_Fgr Release 2001/08/30: CIA-R[)P730 968000200130048-4
A COMPUTER LAG
BY RUSSIA FOUND
But U.S. Expert Discerns
Potetnial for Parity
By JOHN NOBLE WILFORD
The Soviet Union dill lags
behind the United States in the
production and use of corn-'
puters but has "the raw tech-
nical, potential to achievesome-
thing near parity" within 10
years, an American expert said
after a recent tour of Soviet
computer centers.
Dr. Barry W, Bahem of the
Rand Corporation said that one
of the main problems hindering
the development of computers
in the Soviet Union was-,iron
ically, for a Communist state-
the lack of centralized plan.
ning,
Dr. Boehm's analysis of So-
viet computing in general was
that it suffered from a "serious
lack" of equipment, a "very
ragged situation" in program-
ing and "virtually nonexistent"
support services.
But he reported that, in cer-
tain high-priority areas, such as
military and space activities,
the Russians were less far be-
hind" than they used to be
and had demonstrated their
' impressive technical poten-
tial. "
Guest of Soviet Academy
Dr. Boehm made a two-week
tour of computer centers in
Moscow, Kiev and Tbilisi last
October as the guest of the
Soviet Academy, of Sciences.
He is head of the computer sys-
tems analysis grout) at Rand,
which is a nonprofit organiza-
tion in Santa Monica, Calif., for
research on military, scientific
and public policy problems.
His reports was published
in the current issue of Rand's
Soviet Cybernetics Review, a
bimonthly publication of re-
ports and translations on So-
viet computer technology. Dr.
Boehm elaborated on his ob-
servations in an ' interview by
telephone.
In an opportunity rare for a
Western computer expert, Dr.
Boehm visited the Soviet Insti-
tute of Space Research in Mos-I
cow, which oversees scientific'
aspects of the Russian space
program. He was also allowed
to conduct some experiments
with Soviet computers.
Solar Probe Planned
At the space, center, Dr.
-Boehm said, he learned that
the Russians were "apparently
,not going for the grand tour
of Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus."
Such an unmanned mission,
which is being planned by the
United States for late in this
decade, would involve a flight
of more than nine years and
a considerable advance in com-
puter technology.
But Dr. Boehm learn of So-
viet plans for a three-year solar
`probe using an unmanned
spacecraft to fly by Jupiter and
into a path perpendicular to the
sun-earth plane. It is not known
when the mission will be
launched.
The space Institute consists
of -about 500 people and ex-
pects to expand to 3,000, Dr.
Boehm learned. The expansion
is partly attributable to new
programs, but also apparently
to some centralization of mis-
sion planning and spacecraft de-
sign work.
Computers Are Slower
Dr. Boehm said that the Rus-
sians "have a fairly compact
standard spaceborne computer"
with a 4,000-word core memory,
256 words of erasable memory
and a speed of about 100,000
operations a.second. Computers
on American spacecraft have the
capability of performing 500,-
000 to a million operations a
second.
Discussing the poor coordina-
tion among Soviet computer ex-
perts, Dr. Boehm said:
"Typically, the academically
oriented institutes of the Acad-
emy of Science develop the
hardware [equipment] designs
and basic operating system
software [programing]; the elec.
tronics industry produces the
machines, often after long
wrangles with the institutes
and production delays - and
neither is particularly responsi-
ble to the user to provide
maintenance or assistance in
extending or debugging the
software."
As long as there is a lack of
coordinated, centralized Soviet
effort, Dr. Boehm said he
thought the United States "will
stay comfortably ahead in com-
puter technology and usage."
But he added, "Our lead in
space land military applications
will probably be less than our
lead in general-purpose com-
puting."
What the Russians need, Dr.
Boehm said, is a centralized
computer development program
headed by a "tough-minded,
pragmatic technical man" like
those who headed development
of the Russian rocket and space
program. He said that Acade-
mician Viktor Glushkov, head
of the Institute of Cybernetics
at Kiev, "is probably the major
candidate" for such a post.
At present, Dr. Boehm said,
the best Soviet computer inI
fairly general use is the BESM-
6, which has a capacity for 3:2,-
000 words in its memory core
and 500,000 operations a sec-
ond. This is roughly compar-
able with the IBZM 7094.
A larger and more efficient
computer, called RYAD, is
planned to go into production
late next year, Dr. Boehm re-
ported. Meanwhile, the Rus-
sians are buying some British
computers as a "stopgap" meas-
ure.
It is estimated that there are
5,500 to 6,000 computers in the
Soviet Union, against 24,000 in
Western Europe and 63,000 in
the United. States.
Approved For Release 2001/08/30 : CIA-RDP73B00296R000200130048-4