Controversy in Soviet Research and Development: The Airship Case Study,

The airship case study focuses on the process of generating requirements within the Soviet aviation industry -- that is, on how decisions are made to produce a particular product. Airships, of course, do not constitute a major weapons system of principal concern to U.S. military planners. However, in the Soviet Union the same institutions that are involved in deciding whether or not to produce airships are involved in other aircraft development decisions, both civilian and military. Thus, generalizations from the study of this controversy may yield additional insights into the requirements-generation process.