Turn 81 (January 1st, 1970 - January 1st, 1971): A Spark of the Third Industrial Revolution Results
Foreign Politics:
In the US a series of police killings in the aftermath of the Civil Rights Act's passage has seemingly inflamed the nation with significant unrest going through major urban areas. The US government has deployed its internal troops in several instances to quell the unrest without exceptional incidents. Radio broadcasting has focused on the unrest itself, talking at length with locally specialized shows on the unfairness of American police agencies and the massive discrepancies in class and race that are targeted by police violence. President Humphrey has gone at length to talk about the necessity for reform while attempting to thread a middle line between the protestors and the massive right-wing agitation for cracking down on the movement. More broadly the US policy has steadily shifted towards a more confrontational phase as weapon purchases to France have been opened at a large scale.
The recent victory of Brazil in the World Cup has been the dominant factor in local news along with mediocre if consistent economic performance. The Chilean experiment has been allowed to expand far more than any local analysts have expected with the government starting a further degree of social reforms despite US regional control. This has been thought of as an example of American weakness to enforce order on their sphere but even that has been an open question. It is almost certainly expected that the US will inevitably enforce order, limiting any latitude towards local operations. For their part, a significant program of funding from China has been going into local governments' communist parties but that is likely to do little outside of inducing a larger eventual response.
The formation of the Libyan Arab Republic over the last year has proven more durable than expected initially with Gadaffi rapidly consolidating local power. Funding and aid have been sent through him to Algeria with a tepid if accepting response of Soviet aid in the anti-colonial struggle. While on a surface level and in his speeches a committed anti-communist he has found little issue with taking funding and purchasing arms while aiming to oppose Western colonialist aims. The local diplomats have claimed him to be unreliable and determined that the time was right for a final pan-Arabist struggle but that has so far not proven to be onerous when dealing with the state. Egypt for its part has had the passing of Nasser and his replacement by a puppet vice president that is not expected to last long with an unpredictable path of succession.
Continued accelerated economic development has dominated East African politics and local standards with a broad system of education and railways prioritized for development. Local deficiencies in energy resources are expected to be partially substituted through the import of cheap petroleum and coal from other block nations until local developments are sufficient. The lack of domestic coal reserves is expected to pose a major issue to a conventional scale of industrialization but the simple overhaul of local agriculture towards more efficient forms is expected to provide a significant quantity of capital. To the North, the collapse of the Somalian government to a general coup has led to destabilization in the region as influence over the state has been rapidly divided between Ethiopia and broader Soviet forces.
With the rest of the colonies of France caught in a series of civil wars and expensive coups the Southern horn of the continent has not done much better. Continued incursions by South African and Rhodesian forces against local forces organized in Angola, Zambia, and Mozambique with significant contributions from East African forces. The conflict itself has almost entered its first full decade as limited commitments have forced the conflict into a cold war stalemate. Domestic production of arms in the EAF is severely limited and while some shipments have been turned over to continue the war, the federation has primarily acted as a supporting element to other anti-colonial forces. For its part, the Americans have committed several unofficial volunteers to both the Rhodesian and South African sides despite a different public posture.
With the tiedown of French forces elsewhere national movements for self-determination and sovereignty have taken center stage across West Africa. In Cameroon, the CNU has consolidated power strongly, eliminating old-french regime elements and decisively moving to exit the franc with a total repudiation of French debts. The Chadian civil war has steadily moved into its decisive phase with forces of FROLINAT expanding to tens of thousands of soldiers on a stream of Soviet arms while the French collaboration authorities have only weakened through Algerian commitments. Unhinging the Diori position in Niger has achieved little as the collaborationist government has limited available liberation forces through more comprehensive ties to France and a mining central economy. Local forces in Benin and Togo have been moved to reverse their collaborationist stance and start internal consolidation but little Soviet control or influence is available. Both dictators are expected to be anti-French but little else is known on their position.
Closer ties through petroleum controls have spurred a wave of nationalizations and national control programs across the Middle East. Even the American-installed Baathist regime has embarked on an ambitious program for the consolidation of oil resources so as to improve incomes and minimize outflows. The Saudi's for their part have stayed stagnant with a stoppage of oil increases called for in OPEC conferences to maintain a rate of profit and to be measured in response to rapidly increasing global oil demand. Libya has nationalized its oil reserves in a compromise deal along with similar work undergone through Iran to maintain some foreign partnerships but maintains strong domestic control over petrochemical reserves. The Iranian government for its part has continued to lose popularity with two separate corruption scandals hitting it along with a likely American operation to affect regime change.
Austrian Crisis:
In August an Austrian government function was interrupted through a power struggle between conservative and reformist wings as a product of stagnant prices, increasing imports, and the depletion of the national gold reserve. Rudolf Häuser, at the lead of the more reformist and unconventional faction, rapidly assumed power through some form of political struggle, consolidating out the conservatives in a series of party meetings and the replacement of ministerial positions. His line has been one of humanistic socialism as described by the man himself, advocating a replication of Czechoslovak policies of openness with a free joining of the party and an economic system separated from absolute planning with the partial privatization of enterprises to raise revenue for the state.
The first of his new reformist legislation has come into the social sphere with the legalization of some protest activities, strikes, and several other practices that could theoretically undermine the government in the guise of freeing the people. Even before any of his economic agenda could be implemented the policies of openness practically immediately backfired with an out-of-control student protest striking Viena along with sympathetic action by rightist trade unionists. The movement further failed to be suppressed by local forces, agitating for a further expansion of the already excessive reforms with some even advocating for a direct withdrawal from any military alliance and a policy of international neutrality.
Local advisors have advocated that the republic is reaching a critical moment and that a decisive choice will have to be made on the state of the government. The Häuser government has so far chosen to ignore the protests out of either incompetence or paralysis with the man himself insisting on a commitment to international socialism. There is some tentative evidence that the civilian struggle may be a part of a broader political struggle in the aftermath of the old leadership's fall, pushing for a reactionary takeover and the movement of Austria itself into the arms of the capitalist block. Semyonov has broadly failed to bring any unity in the presidium, arguing for a non-interventionist stance out of a deluded position that nothing will come of mass unrest.
Garetovsky has further backed Semyonov as he is too much of an incapable puppet to do anything else. From far more reasoned and experienced views a series of plans have been drafted, even if there is still a shortage of votes and decisiveness. Both Obukhov and Belik have advocated for a strong response to the crisis, removing the government for its clear ineptitude in managing internal politics. Using the forces available across the 3rd Army, 8th Guards Army, and the 11th Guards Tank Army; socialism can be restored and the situation cleanly stabilized. After the reactionary upsurge is quelled, further forces can be sent in to reconstruct local policing and ensure that the source of reaction is crushed.
Babkov and Nikolaev both advocate a finer line to walk, supporting the government in the arrest of the protesters along with a strongly suggested declaration of martial law. They see the current crisis as a test of Soviet Resolve and a case of international agitation that cannot be over-responded to without causing an appearance of weakness and lack of confidence. The mobilization of local districts for large-scale exercises in the meantime is expected to hedge against a possible increased Western response showing conviction that current military organs are expected to provide mutual support. After the protesters are arrested, a broader consensus on governmental reforms in Austria can be embarked upon, with the improvement of material conditions prioritized over chasing imaginary rights that are irrelevant in the face of material circumstances.
[]Compromise with Semyonov: The man is an imbecile in foreign policy and has proven himself entirely indecisive, but he is nonetheless the general secretary and an important politician in several matters. Bluntly favoring trading and spurring the likely backing of Romanov on this will introduce some weakness into the alliance but that is expected no matter how the situation resolves. Some hedges to increase military presence and prepare troops can still be forced to be implemented, putting the Union into an adequate position for intervention in case Semyonov's optimistic idealism fails. (Gains one political favor)
[]Back the MFA: The actual minister for foreign affairs has advocated a middle line and Babkov has the most diplomatic experience of anyone in the presidium. Assuming that a limited intervention of police forces and the mass arrests of the protesting masses manage to crush any reactionary rising, further moderation can serve to reduce the impact of Häuser's policies. With a combined economic effort towards reform and the transfer of expertise to modernize the economy offered as a reward, the government should more than follow necessary guidelines. Romanov himself likely falls into a similar position, but there exists the significant risk that Häuser does something even more stupid and the crisis spirals out of control. (Chance of Nuclear War)
[]Protect Socialism: The current course of the Austrian government is if anything inherently revisionist with a focus on compromising several social spheres to capitalist influence. Instead of allowing a government that cannot even manage to keep dissent at bay to continue existing, a strong and decisive response can be taken. With the cooperation of the 8th and 11th guards armies and a number of German formations screening the French flank a socialist government can be put into place. The various hawks in the politburo are expected to react well to such a course, allowing separation from Romanov's indecisive foreign policy.
Rocketry:
The effective conversion of the R16 system to satellite duties has proceeded without excess issues as the two-hundred-ton main bus is readily converted from already produced ICBMs. Assuming an ideal launch the system can heft four tons to low earth orbit with a margin of reliability. It is far from a human-rated rocket but it is more than sufficient for most expected duties restoring satellites and emergency launch capacity for new probe systems. The only new technology going into the rocket has been an expanded hypergolic third stage for orbital attainment. An added advantage of the system is its transportability as satellites can be kept in a ready-to-fire configuration and moved by rail like its derivative missile. A new series of weather satellites has been planned for the system, entering a variety of LEO bands at a far cheaper price than through the use of a unitary RLA-1 bus.
Emergency procedures in the launch of the FGB-VA have once again been tested through an early booster engine failure forty seconds into the second stage burn. Computers onboard were able to deviate the craft into a suborbital abort profile with a tolerable re-entry threshold followed by a recovery of the capsule in the Pacific. None of the crew were injured with an inquiry finding that the separation of the RLA second stage damaged the turbomachinery of the second stage to an extensive extent. The mission was meant as the first one to test next-generation space suits but that was aborted due to the necessary re-assessments of the RLA to prevent any risk to the cosmonauts. The suits themselves have been vacuum tested on Earth in near-space environments.
Glushko's ideas for the initial outer planet mission have been entirely scrapped in favor of a comprehensive overhaul of the entire upper bus. Any concept of using the Mars vehicle has been dismissed with a heavier new system capable of redundant decay power generation along with improved electronics. Solid-state electronics are likely to be mature enough to fly on the program, with the question of reliability and thermal performance dominating the entire discussion on system design. The sensor package has been designated as mostly not-redundant with several conventional scientific sensors that can be sent at lightweight doubled up but heavy and power-hungry instrumentation only sent in single examples. Design rationalization has also continued with testing of different electronic configurations under orbital radiation conditions expected to further improve reliability.
The technical work on the outer planets program based on the Mars bus has instead been shifted into a dedicated system for the exploration of Jupiter. The probe itself represents a series of improved basic systems that are ready for quick launch, sacrificing some reliability for the ability to beat the Americans to Jupiter. While the systems have had issues making it to Mars, improvements to the general bus and a more aggressive trajectory enabled by an RLA launch are expected to compensate for most technical shortfalls. If the mission itself fails, a good picture of the environment around the gas giants will be essential for further mission planning, especially for more ambitious and longer-range automated missions.
Infrastructure
Integration of Commuter Rail: The old program to revamp and unify commuter rail with subways is still viable despite massive changes in the ministry. Disruption from the sacking of the corrupt imbecile has been fairly mild. The program has effectively been modified to include Kiev, Minsk, Tashkent, and Kharkov ensuring a more even development spread. Further work will inherently center on ensuring that above-ground use in the high-speed rail zone is directly utilized by local transit grids, bringing stations together and forming large linkage lines to allow for traveling passengers to reach the most significant urban areas quickly and cheaply (193/150) (Completed)
Despite significant delays and a change in administration, the original project for incorporating local transportation systems into the passenger rail system has proceeded according to plan. Expanded demolitions to keep trips short have proven necessary to build interlinks but the program itself has been pushed forward. Standardized rail terminals have been generally integrated into the metro network through links at major stations, effectively allowing a short escalator trip to bring passengers down into local transportation systems. For city centers where buses make up the majority of transportation assets, lines have been updated to fully utilize the system and increase both tourism and travel activity.
Resumption and over-funding of integration work have necessitated the large-scale urban remodeling of several centers that were constructed in lieu of the originally planned program. Several central locations near major railway lines have been reformed into a more functional apparatus with escalator links provided into at least a single line of local railway networks to improve transferability and logistical interconnects. It is the current view of the Public Transportation Commission that further funding is still necessary for expanding and modernizing overland routes will be key for economic growth and logistical integration. -Report on the Development of the High-Speed Rail System from the Public Transportation Commission.
Central Asian High Capacity Roads: Outside of the Western republics and inhabited belt, roads have historically been entirely ignored by every administration. Instead of the expected lack of economic activity and lack of development though, through socialist ingenuity, the Central Asian workers have achieved significant economic gains. Building up a long-distance transportation network from effectively nothing will take a massive investment in funds and personnel, but few things can generate a greater return either politically or economically than moving people used to dirt roads to large paved ones. Continued development funding will still be necessary, but even finalizing arterial routes will significantly improve standards and low-level commerce. (120 Resources per Dice 297/450)
To keep pace with regional road construction the high capacity program has continued its funding spanning across two major Southward routes. Final construction work in the more mountainous areas of Central Asia has yet to begin outside the stabilization of road beds but those will follow shortly after. The development of these commercial links is expected to greatly benefit the local economy while ensuring that the movement of local goods only increases. The primary route down towards Balkhash is expected to be completed first with the rest of the way towards Almaty funded but not yet entering construction. The coastal route has effectively linked the Uzbek and Turkmen SSRs into the general road network with a significant increase in transit utilization.
Water Distribution Systems(Stage 7/10): Calls for bringing universal pressurized water to every significant concentration of the population have been delayed for much of a decade but they can finally be entirely developed. Work on the construction of enlarged distribution infrastructure along with small integrated water towers will form much of the supply system, with much of the funding going towards the laying of new pipes before significant road renovations. New materials are available for modern plumbing, bringing the areas into the 20th century and ensuring that backwardness can be stamped out on the infrastructural end. (150 Resources per Dice 141/300)
The allocation of revitalization funds towards a campaign to renew the Union's water infrastructure has been continued through the last plan. Pressurized water setups for lower-density areas have been systematically ignored but with new piping and improved technologies, it has steadily become more viable. Over two hundred water towers have already been constructed with far more planned as local groundwater resources have been put to use for the people. Continued improvements in the utilization of water are expected as costs go down and water access is not effectively tied to an obsolete manually operated pump. Once modernization is done in the rural areas the task of managing significant increases in urban sewage flow can begin but running water is a far greater determiner of health than an occasional backup.
Development of the Volga: As a first stage of improving the water levels of the Volga and stabilizing the depletion of the Caspian a new canal system linking the basin of the Kama to the Perchora can be undertaken. Pioneering work on nuclear charges is expected to be utilized for the clearing of select hardpoints of terrain but much of the work is going to be conventional despite the climate. Improving water transfer will allow for the direct control of the water level of the Volga, helping to eliminate a significant scope of seasonal variation in the levels of the Volga. The canal may also help the development of the north, as a further accessible route towards the Arctic will be available for navigation. (120 Resources per Dice 39/75)
The planned detonation of five nuclear charges to assist in the development of the Pechora-Kama canal has proceeded according to plan with significant impediments of hard rock cleared. The actual tests have proven disappointing relative to the hopes, acting more as questionable soil softeners than effective digging implements with the cost of each shot practically non-economical. In remote areas, nuclear excavation is still cost-viable due to the challenges of bringing heavy equipment but otherwise, the civilian use of nuclear explosions has been relegated to alternative approaches. The near total diversion of the Pechora from Yaksha to the Northern Volga basin is expected to recharge the river and provide a considerable increase in total water outflow.
Radiation levels along the primary canal route have been elevated in response to the second explosive cascade, with increased portions of enriched cobalt present at the site of initiation. Nuclear earthmoving in soils with excessive non-ferrous contaminants must be reviewed by impact studies before further testing can be initiated. Excessive radiation of the soils renders much of the concept questionable as nuclear charges for mass excavation would then only be confined to a narrow band of rocky soils without enrichable mineral content.
-Classified Report on Peaceful Nuclear Explosions
Heavy Industry
Mangyshlak Arc-Mills: Utilizing lower-grade quartzite deposits that are prevalent in the region along with an arc furnace final conversion of pig iron promises to ensure a stable supply of metal for the prolonged future. The deposits of what was previously considered secondary ore are massive and well beyond the scope of conventional ore. Further, to adequately utilize the massive development of local hydroelectric potential, the power must be directed toward economic uses. By centralizing the processing of low-grade ore the region can start a new mining revolution. Further, increasing quantities of scrap steel can be repurposed economically, bringing overall prices down. Utilization of local coals is further expected to make the price impact negligible, improving yields. (193/175) (Complete) (-10 Steel +1 General Labor +2 Educated Labor) (+80 RpY)
Taking advantage of the strong hydroelectric potential produced by Amu Darya's lower basin has allowed the rapid industrialization of Uzbekistan along with providing an excellent site for the steel industry. Iron ore moved by rail from the Mangyshlak deposits is used to produce local steel to minimize regional-level steel importation. The mill itself is built to utilize arc furnaces as the primary source of melts with recycling capacity expected to make up a significant portion of steel production relative to primary steels. For primary steel the mill utilizes the plentiful local natural gas deposits for the production of sponge iron rather than pig iron, offering unique advantages in conversion efficiency and specificity. The technology itself is only now viable compared to the Krupp–Renn process but local developments promise a significant reduction in current costs of steel production.
Kansk-Achinsk Basin Exploitation(Stage 1/5): The solution to the Union's coal and energy issues is not some technical miracle or novel development. With any limitation in transportation, defeated coal production can be shifted towards deposits of easy surface utilization. The massive surface fields of lower-grade coals offer an almost order of magnitude improvement in labor efficiency for production. Haulage costs are expected to increase final prices by half of the value of coal despite the improvements, but technical efforts towards the dehydration and semi-coking of coal can be undertaken on-site using new techniques and local hydroelectric energy. (231/125 Stage 1 Complete) (106/150 Stage 2) (-56 CI3 Electricity -12 Coal +2 General Labor +1 Educated Labor)
Initial habitation of the coal basin has proceeded with the mass importation of labor to properly utilize the local coals. Unlike practically every other deposit in the Union, the primary basin is near the ground and requires no shaft mining. The development of heavy machinery for similar extraction has already been pioneered in CMEA leaving only the question of transportation. Developmental work for reducing the weight of lignite through semi-coking using microwaves has been the preferred method as the coals are primarily wet with little ash content. Such programs will not make them anything close to proper anthracitic coals, but they can ensure that shipping costs only increase the price by half. Local industries are expected to first preferentially use the coals with the substitution of black coals from Kuzbas with local subbituminous ones.
Modernization of Tooling: The development of the Erbrus-M system has been prevalent for most new-generation machinery. The new Erbrus-1M unit is effectively a microcomputer derived from a single tray of an Erbrus-1 that was upgraded with integrated circuit cards. The system has proven adequate for military applications of high precision manufacturing but production must be rapidly increased to keep pace with the demand for tooling and modernization. Accompanying tooling systems are also set to be produced at scale providing a rapid improvement in capacity and increasing the depth of automation and precision for machining labor. (144+10 Omake/150) (Completed) (-45 CI6 Electricity +1 Steel +1 Educated Labor) (Reduces Costs)
Integrated machining units have already been developed and utilized but by allowing single repetitive actions to be repeated in manufacturing significant gains can be made. The machinery made primarily comprises standard NC milling and refinement machinery paired with a modernized Erbrus-1M microcomputer. The combination is effectively using the latter system as a modular microcontroller for the machine, allowing several new productive modes on any previously made machine. By acting as a general upgrade system with a broad degree of hardware acceptance the market demand for the microcomputer is expected to be massive. Funding has further gone towards the large-scale expansion of Erbrus IC logic card production as current orders alone call for several thousand new units.
Semiconductor Fabrication: Improvements that have been made for larger-scale computing on the Erbrus-M units have greatly extended computing power with integrated circuits but efficient microcomputers remain in massive demand. There is a massive demand for smaller and more electrically efficient systems especially for calculator applications. A decisive move towards CMOS architecture over older style devices is going to be necessary with a plan calling for the construction of four dedicated facilities for production. The technical aspects of the program are primarily complete with fabrication expected to start by 1973 assuming consistent funding on a 75mm wafer and a previously unheard-of transistor density. (138+15 Cannon Omake/150) (Complete) (-39 CI10 Electricity +2 Educated Labor) (Reduces Costs)
Techniques pioneered in the last plan have been driven to large-scale production of 75mm wafers with ten-micrometer features to centralize processing tasks away from logic cards. The main application for the new units is expected to be both industrial and calculator as more efficient microcomputers are more practical and useful than mainframes for several conventional applications. Three foundries have been established with one in Kiev, Moscow, and Stalingrad to utilize locally trained workers and plentiful water supplies. The Kiev plant is to specialize in the production of new electronic memory modules while the other two focus on processing units. The goal of the program is to make a microcomputer with significantly enhanced performance to Erbrus-1M control units and provide a revolution in low-end computing. Further, a calculator on a chip is believed to be entirely possible, allowing a truly portable unitary calculator weighing less than a kilogram.
The technical aspects of the new work are almost verging on fantasy with requirements set that would have been laughed out of the room just half a decade ago. In 1965 a single monolithic chip that could contain five transistors was considered an expensive distraction, something to be considered and dismissed but progress has only accelerated. The first production batches of hybrid circuits are already being shipped and used across the entire Erbrus line, with improved logic cards taking advantage of compact single-die transistors to improve packing density with physical card space taken up more and more by resistors and diodes. The current programs however call for a revolutionary step of downsizing the entire circuit onto a single lithographic surface, something the Americans have done and that is certainly possible, but something that will take committed effort to close the gap.
-Nastasya Morozova head of project KR580
Rocketry
Consolidate the Program: Getting rid of Glushko has failed to so far centralize the program in any real sense with Rodionov struggling to get the massive set of industries under control. Creating a formal bureaucratic-administrative structure for easy operation will be necessary to bring in the next decade of craft with future developments dependent on properly allocating limited funding. Pushing around the OKBs is going to be a mess, but the sooner it is done the sooner the problem can be resolved favorably. (55) (+1 Rocketry Dice) (Cannot Use Free Dice)
Bringing the space program into a coherent structure with a formalized hierarchy has taken wrangling, screaming, and two dozen unproductive meetings with OKB heads. The new structure is definitively led by the staff of OKB-1 with a general restructuring and incorporation of Energia and much of Glushko's old administrative structure. Reorganizations are expected to take much of the year with upper leadership cleared out and unified to allow for further programs. Discrete roles on projects may increase costs some as inter-OKB bidding is minimized but maintaining bureaucratic initiative has been judged as more important.
Nuclear Drives: The promise of a viable high-thrust nuclear drive for the launch of a payload into the outer system is practically astronomical. A two-stage moon mission in the American scheme could be conducted with our current rockets assuming a hydrogen stage, additionally, the massive requirements for velocity for exploring the outer system can neatly be solved. Some in the ministry caution against the usage of significant quantities of nuclear material for effectively disposable engines, but given the cost of all of the other hardware the actual fissiles are expected to be relatively cheap. Work will focus on the construction of a low-thrust rocket for a theoretical RLA-3 nuclear stage as a unified bus for the transit of satellites to the outer planets and mercury. (-10 RpY Expected) (60) (Choose Two)
Reviving Glushko's technical project for a new nuclear engine has come with several challenges as an immediate comparison has been made to the failing American program. The question of who would authorize the launch of so much nuclear material and making the material reliable enough for the expected burn profiles are both major concerns. Current proposals have to an extent called for the retreading of the American program with a focus on a conventional linear nuclear core through which liquid hydrogen is pumped, heated, and then utilized as thrust with a conventional nozzle. More ambitious designs have been proposed but they are almost certain to require a greater commitment of funding along with a far longer and politically riskier testing regime.
[]Linear-Core: Retreading on similar ground as the American program, the simplest and lowest power core for the launch of probes is the simplest work that can be done. By keeping to a linear core several lessons from the reactor program can be directly carried over with few issues. Lower thermal and power requirements along with a fairly narrow core will allow for the easy protection of payloads from radiation with a smaller degree of shielding. Operating at an impulse of at best 850 seconds and an optimistic TWR of 1 for the engine the engine is the least ambitious proposal but one that can be made with a minimal degree of technical ambition. (No Price Changes)
[]Expanded Surface Area: Iterating on work that was done by the Americans, a higher surface area core can be developed through nonlinear fuel elements with proposals ranging from twisted rods to a ribbon surrounding hydrogen injection channels. The largest gains from such an approach are expected to be in comparative thrust through improved fuel element contact and are also expected to result in mild efficiency improvements. An impulse of up to 900 seconds is expected with an optimistic TWR of 5 if the program is a success. The program is going to be inherently more complicated as a cooled nozzle is almost certain to be necessary.
[]Pebble Bed: Recent material breakthroughs in the fabrication of coherent zirconium carbide coatings of consistent thickness have already been pioneered in the German nuclear industry. Bringing the developments into rocketry can allow for some of the issues inherent to core temperature zones to be fixed with an improvement in thermal properties brought in through the improved thermal characteristics of the pebbles. Ensuring a constant flow through an effective large hot fluidized pebble bed represents significant technical challenges but those can be overcome. Performance on the order of 950 seconds along with an above one TWR should be possible but the designs will inherently be more experimental and focused on the discrete fabrication of fuel elements. (Adds 5 RpY to Program)
[]Low Pressure Designs: Using discoveries in the field of high-temperature ceramics an operational temperature in the range of 3400-3600K. With this a conventional hydrogen drive can be shifted towards a new operating regime based on the local dissociation of hydrogen, significantly improving efficiency in almost any conceivable role for a nuclear engine. By dissociating the hydrogen an impulse up to 1300 seconds can be achieved with some technical limitations. Low operational pressures will mean the engine is sizable, but weight reductions from reduced thermal burdens can help to make the design lighter than more conventional proposals. The moderating influence of hafnium ceramics, neutron economy problems, and core design issues will have to be solved but there is little entirely infeasible about the design. (Adds 5 RpY to Program)
[]Liquid Core-Centrifugal: Keeping nuclear fuel in a liquid state solves the technical issues of the fragility of conventional uranium fuel elements. This can be conducted by keeping the fuel channels in a constant state of rotation, allowing centrifugal forces to keep the material contained. Pre-cooling with the fuel before seeding and injection will keep the fuel solid outside of the channel to protect the cladding material and rotation elements. The fuel will then be seeded out of the cooling loop and injected down the channels, being heated to a massive temperature and nearly doubling the efficiency of the system compared to solid core designs. An impulse in the order of 1600 seconds or higher may be achievable with a TWR dependent on the exact reactor design and impossible to accurately estimate. (Adds 5 RpY to Program)
Revise the Outer Planets Program: Glushko was thinking of something for both the Galileo and Outer Planets Programs but it is indeterminate what it was or how to accomplish it. The stability of the universal payload bus has been demonstrated several times but there is a significant difference between a two-year flight and a ten-year one. New dedicated electronics with more advanced technologies and lower thermal requirements are going to be needed along with a far greater number of technologies. Moving the program to a new configuration with a new probe system may delay the first launches of Galileo but it will significantly improve the reliability of the more limited outer planets transfers. (63)
Current approaches towards the outer planets program have been to an extent judged as non-viable as even Mars approaches put the hardware under considerable strain. A new generation of circuitry and protection systems are going to be required for the project no matter what with a dedicated probe bus developed instead of a replication of the Mars probes. Moving entirely to a redundant system of RTGs is expected to provide more than enough power with electronics on board designed to a standard of redundancy not before seen in the program. As a part of evaluation work, the Galileo program is to be tasked with hardware evaluation, delaying launches till at least 1973.
Light Industry
Air Conditioner Plants(Stage 5/8): The total modernization of Soviet housing for the next plan will not come without a strong push toward further investment. Climate control has significantly improved the perceived living standards of workers in the West and it can do the same here. Instead of apartments that get stuffy due to limited circulation a new universal standard with larger units can be adopted for the next generation of the housing program. Actual fourth-generation housing is not expected until the start of the next plan, but committing the preparatory work towards expanding production can more than ensure adequate development. (236+15 Cannon Omake/250 Stage 5 Completed) (1/275 Stage 6) (-41 CI3 Electricity +1 Steel +2 Non-Ferrous +2 General Labor)
Advances in the design of thermal transfer systems have only continued with high-efficiency large systems designed and trialed for full-scale buildings. Systems have generally been designed for installation at the rooftop with integration going downwards for the pumping of cold air to street level. These will effectively move the air on a single column to provide consistent cooling for every apartment in a building with local units intelligently regulating temperature for cooling applications. Power increases are expected to be significant but the system itself can be retrofitted to several older generations of buildings, especially those with spacious stairwells or excess non-structural space. Current production allocations are going to be consumed by the plan but with expansion through incentive funds most new structures built should be able to maintain a consistent and comfortable temperature.
Modern Foods Production(Stage 3/3): Further efforts towards improving the production methodologies of new foods and increasing the market share of semi-durable goods can help to stimulate the economy. Many of the foods produced by the program are inherently far more stable than any that have come before, improving logistical supplies and providing a considerable return on investment. Distribution and the evaluation of new types of goods to be produced will take some time outside the establishment of factories, but there is almost no shortage of demand at the distributor level for stable goods. (173+10 Omake/175 Stage 3 Complete) (-28 CI3 Electricity +2 General Labor) (High Profitability)
Following recommendations from the minister the modern foods program has continued with the packaging of several standardized bakery items. Goods ranging from simple linear pastries and dried bread have been packed into foil-lined bags allowing for long-term easy storage. Continued work on differing applications has served to popularize fast hot cereals allowing the average worker to prepare a breakfast in minutes. The program itself has done little in total outside of pastry goods, but the ability to put products on shelves and keep them there will serve to reduce inventory attrition and thus prices at every level. Exports have to an extent seen more success with more durable goods prioritized for shipping and sale to several "international" stores in CMEA.
Home Supplies Production: The development of supplies for private home renovation and general modernization has become a significant sector of private production. Introducing the state into the market and significantly increasing the supply of basic tools, materials, and parts can serve to increase private sector specialization. This will take some funding to break new enterprises into the sector and provide a more competitive landscape, but that can be done without too many issues. (150 Resources per Dice 57/75)
To address the massive increases in prices of several types of domestic equipment before the private sector can decisively eliminate the problem a dedicated state effort has begun. The primary focus of the current project rests on the production of enough reliable and affordable tools from local suppliers over anything excessive. A cheap drill that can last for a few hundred uses before wearing out is still a functional drill for light home improvement work. Two differing high-end enterprises have been made to make heavy use of tools for actual professionals and renovators willing to pay a premium but the majority focus is on the mass production aspect.
Chemical Industry
Offshore Experiments: With the pioneering work done in the Caspian further programs can be started to properly utilize the offshore reserves available. The baltic fields can begin evaluation for extraction with some of the more coastal installations done in partnership with Poland. Several further northern rig designs will be evaluated on the oceanic portion of the Timan-Pechora basin and the Kara Sea as both areas offer large virgin deposits. Technical work started on this plan is unlikely to offer significant returns quickly but starting developments is an investment in future energy independence. (100/100) (Completed) (-20 CI5 Electricity -1 Petroleum Fuels +1 Educated Labor)
The development of new technologies for the extraction of petroleum has taken the forefront with technical work done in the Caspian massively increasing in scale. Offshore extraction in the shallow Baltic and Kara seas is expected to rely on fixed rigs over floating ones to make general extraction easier. Proposed standard types of rigs are expected to be constructed around an otherwise floating hull with a series of legs lowered once the platform is towed into place. These have already been to an extent used in the American petroleum industry with domestic replications planned to be used in the Baltic fields by the end of next year. Further improvements are going to be necessary to tame the more problematic northern fields but technical work is underway.
West Siberian Petroleum Fields(Stage 1/6): The West Siberian oil fields represent some of the largest reserves of petroleum available to the Union. The development of the region has started at a mild scale but with the strong increase in petroleum demand and the need for massive quantities of gas for power production applications, increases in extraction are necessary. Current programs call for the effective settlement of several areas in the north using highly paid technical workers from other petrochemical concerns. Most of the towns established will effectively only exist for the extraction of oil but the reserves are significant enough to more than compensate. (225/150 Stage 1) (75/125 Stage 2) (-32 CI10 Electricity -8 Petroleum Fuels +2 General Labor +1 Educated Labor) (+80 RpY)
The West Siberian fields represent some of the largest available oil reserves to the Union with several discrete fields already identified for exploratory drilling. The majority of the currently discovered deposits rest only a kilometer down, rendering the physical part of extraction comparatively easy. Establishing towns for the workers on the petroleum projects has however taken up the majority of the funding as the region has been practically uninhabited outside of a few old believers. Initial stage programs have started to tap the oil at the Cretaceous Cenomanian boundary with the large caps of gas and oil the easiest to extract without technical methods. Further programs are expected to increase the rate of drilling with further derricks and refinery infrastructure constructed.
Timan-Pechora Fields: Exploitation of the deposits across the north has been typical but now that petrochemical demand is rapidly rising both domestically and across CMEA radical measures must be taken. Taking advantage of the already settled nature of the region, intensive exploratory drilling can start to recover the remaining local oil reserves. Local fields have already been partially tapped but less optimal deposits can start extraction with follow-on technical work done to ensure a steady increase in the production of oil and condensates. (120 Resources per Dice 70/125)
Settlement of the north has proceeded alongside efforts towards improving river travel with petroleum workers flown out to the site alongside more technical personnel. Local towns have received expansion funding to allow for the steady movement and settling of workers as local fields are brought under exploitation. The local oils have been more challenging with wells two kilometers down proving necessary to tap oils deposited through previous epochs, but local drilling equipment has met the demand. Increased production of the drilling equipment is going to be necessary to tap the field and get at even deeper petroleum reserves but that will be necessary as oil discovery efforts increase in scale and importance over the next decade.
Plastic Industries(Stage 1/5): The West has moved first towards the large-scale commercialization and production of novel polymers but the Union cannot remain behind. Plastics are universally useful for a massive number of industrial applications and there is no reason to slow their production. The construction of a new planned series of plants capable of converting sufficient amounts of petroleum products into polyethylene and polypropylene will be necessary to keep up with basic demand. By increasing plastics production the gas and heavier fractions of the oil extracted can be used far better, improving economic return and reducing wastage by offering a durable alternative for thousands of products. (200/175) (25/200 Stage 2) (-54 CI7 Electricity +1 Petroleum Fuels -6 Petrochemicals +1 General Labor +2 Educated Labor) (+60 RpY)
Resuming the drive toward the production of conventional plastics has started with a further increase in funding and the establishment of six new chemical concerns for the production of conventional plastics. The work has mostly focused on simpler natural gas-derived polymers with polyethylene and polypropylene preferred for ease of manufacturing. Harder plastics have also continued to be developed to replace heavier glass bottles in most consumer goods once production is sufficient. The steady shift towards plastic bags and containers to eliminate the current issues with durable containers has been encouraged as a natural process of increasing sophistication. Further efforts towards improving the yields of plastics for the clothing industry have already started with new synthetic clothing expected to entirely revolutionize the sector and allow total theoretical independence from cotton imports.
Lanthanide Refining Programs: The massive reserves of Lanthanide elements present across the Uzbek, Tajik, Kyrgyz, and Kazakh SSRs represent an undeveloped supply of critical resources. As electronics production along with several more technical systems increases in demand for local production methods pioneering refining techniques and mining techniques for the ores can be started. The deposits range from sedimentary ones containing metals to more conventional igneous ones, with each necessitating a novel approach. Refining complexes are set to be constructed at Zarafshan with water diverted from hydro projects allowing the isolation of tailings and the construction of a contained ecological zone. (156/150) (Completed) (-20 CI4 Electricity +3 General Labor +1 Educated Labor)
Formal documentation has hesitated from classifying the region as an ecological sacrifice zone but the inevitable results of refining are expected to make it as such. The separation of significant refining sites from notable water resources is expected to minimize larger impacts and the national security concerns of refining processes are too important to ignore. Importation of flourites and stronger acids accompanying a strong increase in extraction has started the long process towards establishing entirely domestic supply chains. Low-yield refining has been the consistent issue with lanthanides and new programs have only partially solved the problem. More aggressive chemicals and increasing energy intensity have allowed local ores to be processed but yields remain poor. Regional investment into mining has resulted in thousands of new jobs as the local mining industry has received a massive degree of investment. All across Central Asia, new mines have been tapped with tens of thousands of new jobs expected in mineworkers alone.
High-paying refining work used to be a dream for many but now there are over ten thousand new openings at Zarafshan. Construction jobs pay a kings' ransom, simple catering work that rivals the pay at some of the naukograds and all for keeping a few thousand workers fed, happy, and working on major industrial projects. Anyone can apply and they'll even take a drunkard like Demitry down the street. If you can believe it he serves Borscht at one of the kitchens down the road from me. The city itself is expanding by the day with hundreds moving in to work on the projects. The pay is even better at the actual plant, but you need an education to get in for anything high-paying.
-Letter from a worker
Engineering Plastics(Stage 3/3): Further work in high-hardness engineering plastics on top of German developments has a significant degree of promise. Using the more stable cross-polymer interactions of ketones the new compounds promise a notable improvement in both durability and chemical resistance. Large-scale production or universal applications are not expected due to the cost of even medium-scale production. Still, more specialty materials with unique material properties can significantly help defense and chemical industries. (133/100 Stage 3 Completed) (-42 CI4 Electricity -3 Petrochemicals +1 Educated Labor)
New developments in the German plastics industry have been directly applied to domestic production with improved compositions brought to large-scale production. Polyetherketone derivatives represent a new leap in both durability and chemical resistance as a plastic, allowing coatings to endure temperatures double that of boiling water, allowing the replacement of expensive stainless steel in several applications. Further, the strong chemical resistance is expected to apply to several areas of the medical industry as the new plastics are capable of being easily sterilized. The lanthanide refining industry and more general semiconductor industry have also provided a significant demand as high chemical resistance is overwhelmingly prioritized across many applications.
Agriculture
Seed Programs: Supplies of new varieties of crossbred dwarf wheat represent some of the best products of agricultural science available to the Union but further improvements can be made. Opening larger crossbreeding programs and attempting to make strains capable of a double planting cycle or with an even stronger fertilizer response is the priority. Better seeds have been responsible for massive gains in yields and likely represent some of the cheapest gains that can be made. Current cultivars are already spreading towards most agricultural producers with further improvements likely to be rapidly adopted. (163/150) (Completed)
With the comprehensive gains made through the introduction of dwarf wheat planting for shorter summer seasons and the effective extension of growing areas a second larger program was practically expected. Selective breeding has steadily shifted into two parallel programs with improvements to hybridized dwarf wheats considered the lower return program with further efforts on making a mixed dwarf-winter wheat strain prioritized to further improve fertilizer responsiveness. A shift towards improved resistance to disease and insects has accompanied the modern program with a dedicated effort toward reducing losses to otherwise preventable diseases. Semi-dwarf wheats are not expected to be used outside core agricultural regions, as while they deliver improved yields significant limitations in their hardiness for water-scarce areas and problematic geographies have been observed in the course of the previous program.
Irrigation Technique Evaluation: Several prospective techniques promise improvements over conventional surface irrigation but they have yet to be studied at a large scale. Partnering with several industrial enterprises and bringing in some expertise from foreign attempts at improving water efficiency can allow for the evaluation of several methods. Surface irrigation has always been notably inefficient and damaging to crops with improvements necessary to extend the utilization of limited water resources in arid regions. (156/150) (Complete)
Broad-scale testing of new irrigation techniques for attempting to create systems to replace simple surface-level ones has been more of a manufacturing than a biological question. Trickle irrigation techniques have already been performed at a low scale but few easy methods exist for spreading them cheaply to larger plots. Sub-surface systems have a general tendency towards clogging and expensive personnel involvement along with several challenges in construction. Above surface systems have several limitations for high-yield harvesting and do not entirely solve the evaporation issues induced by surface water presence. Vertical drip irrigation represents some of the most viable available and its increase has already been used in several greenhouses for the production of vegetables in otherwise adverse environments. Current programs have called for the use of improved plastics for the production of simpler-to-use surface systems that can provide a simple linear path for water to flow off a central controller, allowing steady pressure low water use irrigation.
Services
Expanded Childcare(Stage 6/6): Continuous expansions in the childcare system are necessary to entirely spread it across the entire Union. The Western parts of the Union have reached a sufficient development of services but past the Urals, the services steadily become more questionable. With a final surge in funding a universal system that can handle the current birth rates can be constructed to provide enough capacity for another decade if current trends hold. Further efforts would be necessary but the effective expansion of services is a critical component to the satisfaction of families and significantly contributes to workforce participation. (80 Resources per Dice 237/325)
Committed funding towards childcare programs has continued their expansion to the Caucasus and Central Asia with over a thousand facilities founded to provide universal coverage for mothers. There has been some mild over-building in the West as birth rates have declined relative to the previous peak but that has provided a degree of surge capacity. Further work on the program is only necessary to finalize the full expansion of the system and ensure that any Soviet family can have their children cared for at least half the waking day. In the most curious effect of the program, fathers have also mildly increased workforce participation as children represent a far lesser time burden on the family. If birth rates increase a further expansion might be called for but that remains questionable with the current demographics.
Expansion of the Store System: Continued work on the distribution system has revealed several moderate weaknesses in reaching smaller towns. They have generally remained the domain of smaller private grocers with some supply line inefficiencies and few opportunities for further logistical integration. Directly working with smaller grocers and creating supply-centric enterprises capable of providing them with standardized products can significantly improve outcomes and reduce prices. (116+10 Omake/125) (Complete) (+2 General Labor) (+30 RpY)
Creating a further number of enterprises producing products with long-duration shelf lives or easy-to-freeze food goods has been a logical extension of past programs. The enterprises themselves are more of an organizational and shipping measure, ensuring that a series of basic products ranging from sweets to preserved snacks are available at the small-town level. Work on providing difficult-to-store goods is expected to involve some waste at the local level as it is nearly impossible to predict the specifics of population demand. Several partnerships have been established for providing more goods with a new generation of packaging and preservation expected to significantly increase both perceived and actual availability of a wide range of products to even the smallest private grocer.
Bureaucracy
Crackdown on Misallocation: Excessive allocation of resources to management positions has been consistent and a factor of life of the implementation of part maximum. While in direct wages an enterprise manager will not get paid that significantly, the series of favors and benefits is generally an order of magnitude more valuable for large enterprises. The total elimination of high-class flights and several expensive conferences is impractical and unrealistic but measures to limit business expenses on personal matters can be implemented. The proposals of how to do so are questionable as it is challenging to limit enterprise activities in a way that will not inhibit economic performance. (86) (Supreme Soviet)
Effective legislation on the classification of enterprise operational expenses and their necessity has been defined and put into law with a degree of grandfathered immunity. Any enterprise that has been grossly breaking the law has been provided with a six-month window to restructure its policies to some strong criticism from the opposition. The act itself has set definitions of business expenses as limited to a reasonable mid-coast hotel along with pay for three meals at luxurious if not exclusive restaurants as the upper limit that an individual worker can be provided from a state enterprise. The limit isn't expected to solve the entire problem, but in Romanov's words, it will solve the worst perceived form of the problem while avoiding any political incidents.
Commission on the Criminal Code: The criminal code that was adopted in the 30s has been functional for decades but a new commission has been formed to evaluate perceived excesses. Several members of the Supreme Soviet have pushed for a more general re-evaluation than has been warranted with Romanov failing to fight it, instead letting it pass in the prevote. The current debate is less on replacing the laws if they were just and what should be fixed as at least that compromise has been forced by more conservative elements. Some changes are almost certainly expected but a full overturn is deeply unlikely. (48) (Supreme Soviet)
With the recent changes proving too disruptive for Soviet Society any normal commission would rightfully advocate caution. As even the Stalinist fossils have agitated strongly against it Romanov has been forced to take a conciliatory line for the wrong reasons. To keep the left wing aligned and consistent the commission has effectively been stacked with politicians willing to advocate for caution instead of judging the state of reforms on theoretical Western social agitation. The commission is expected to do some mild changes to modernize the social environment to keep the youths aligned but any significant legislative change is certain to be stopped.
State Union Reform: In a move to push his interests Seymonov has asked that the ministry back radical changes to the state union system. Decentralizing its administration to the level of regional level industries and providing each regional industry council far more administrative capacity. The law further calls for defining what actions workers can take independent of production, with Seymonov effectively wanting to provide protections for contract strikes along with allowing them to be called locally. As such strikes can only be caused by a failure in management there are good odds of the provision itself passing if for nothing more than to eliminate redundant and inaccurate procedures. (78) (Favor from Seymonov)
With some form of clear compromise on Romanov and the ministry voicing cautious support a new comprehensive reform of the State Union system has been pushed through. The largest change has been a decentralization of the Union itself with separation by region and by industry to allow for easier representation while the central organs maintain some oversight. Further, a universal degree of protection for lacking enthusiasm in labor as long as all procedures are followed as written has been added. The managers are of course incensed and determined that this will reduce the competitiveness of the Soviet economy. If bad procedures and conditions are pointed out by a loss of labor enthusiasm, then it is a fair punishment for the mistakes of the management. The debate on the law along with its passage has been mired with controversy but it has passed with some margin in the pre-vote.
Enforcement of Enterprise Balances: Enterprises operating in a temporarily negative balance for a quarter has been the general practice for a long time but few penalties have been applied for excessive debt. With the backing of the ministry, a new general financial reform has been proposed to enforce penalties and restructuring for enterprises that are too laden with debt. Furthermore, the act enforces penalties up to the replacement of the management and breakup for enterprises that have taken on excessive debt across a plan period while failing to either expand or modernize. (69) (Favor from Romanov)
Cautioning against a harsh line against the accumulation of debt due to the reliance of most enterprises on debt-based finance, limits have been placed on how much debt an enterprise can accumulate. Effective interest rates have been made to vary with the quantity of debt of enterprises with poor balances and lacking profitability leading to increasing interest rates and further pressure on enterprises to solve immediate balance issues. Rather than considering the circumstances for an enterprise failing as a consistent negative balance, standards have been changed to one entirely centered around debt and the ability of an enterprise to survive it. Severe criticism has come from the enterprises from the tightened operating conditions, but it was far more important to start the domestic process for adopting the Euro.
Reorganize a Department(Chemical Industry): Working to appoint new ministers is going to be essential to ensure that the ministry itself can function. The separation of the light industrial and chemical department has been long expected but new deputies must be confirmed. There are likely to be some political costs but replacing any open position is comparatively simpler than attempting larger re-organizations. (98)
With the separation of the Light and Chemical industries through the current plan into separate bureaucratic structures, little precedent exists for the movement of new ministers. Biryukov is currently the senior minister of the separation and removing him from the head of the ministry, while possible, can cause several disruptions. The proposal to move Balakirev in as deputy would break the hierarchy in several ways, leaving the only way to move him into a formal bureaucratic position being a technical demotion of Biryukov. Otherwise, several prominent candidates have been pushed forward as the petrochemical industry is reestablished and expanded outside the scope of more conservative past planning. Energy independence and a strong petrochemical industry are going to be key for the next decade as economic growth is only expected to accelerate.
[]Promote Balakirev: Moving Balakirev to the head of the Chemical Industrial Department will be politically disruptive and likely cause a poor precedent to be set in the apparatus but it will provide him with a degree of political support. Balkirev is qualified for the task and more importantly giving him an area to personally manage will ensure that he gains direct experience in the working of the economy. Further, getting him his post will ensure that time spent politically supporting him can be shifted away to more important tasks. (Recovers 2 Bureau Actions and Control of Balakirev's Action)
[]Kita Nikolaevich Shavishvili: Coming in from the Komsomol and rapidly going into a career in chemical engineering Shavishvili is conventional and one of the better academic candidates. With a comprehensive education and several developed projects for local petrochemical extraction and pioneered the development of seaborne resources in the Caspian. His further work is going to be essential for the development of less conventional oils in the Northern deposits and as one of the more senior members, his eventual promotion should cause few political issues.
[]Mikhail Shuevich Mamkhegov: Unconventional and coming from a mechanical engineering background rather than a chemical one, Mamkhegov has been instrumental in the development of equipment for the chemical industry by improving standards and complexity. His previous efforts have prioritized the development and incorporation of new plastics into a wide range of products with further efforts expected to bring the Union into the new era of plastic utilization. He is less experienced with direct petrochemical applications but is expected to significantly reinforce secondary and consumer industries.
[]Zuleikha Gabibovna Seidmamedova: Coming into the ministry after proving herself during the war through front-line aviation work, Seimamedova is a geological engineer who while unconventional, has worked to pioneer the extraction of several deposits. Writing several works on slant drilling and more comprehensive techniques she is a technical pioneer for new methods with more of an academic-enterprise background than a direct ministry one. Improved drilling and recovery is expected to be necessary for some of the newly found deposits and work is only expected to get harder as easier oil deposits are depleted.
12 Hour Moratorium
