Scientific Computing in the Soviet Union

In the last decade, the Soviet Union has placed increased emphasis on the development of high-speed computers and networks for use in scientific, economic, and military applications. When Communist Party General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev labeled supercomputer development a top priority task for our science and economy in April, 1987, he added new urgency to the production of machines that would both support activities in these applications and also serve as high-profile standard-bearers for perestroika, his program of restructuring and modernization for the nation. The Soviets have also undertaken some major projects in networking, including the creation of a nationwide packet-switched network for the Academy of Sciences, work on network access to databases on scientific literature, and local area networks at a number of institutes