Technology transfer: Technology: Dichotomous tool: It can foster trade, but threaten security. Current U.S. policy has tightened controls on exports to the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe

The Kama River truck factory in the Soviet Union is one of the World´s largest industrial complexes. The United States and Western Europe contributed to its design, construction, and operations with shipments of equipment and transfer of technology from 1971 through 1975. The value of shipments from the U.S. alone, including an IBM computer to control the factory´s foundry operations, totaled $355 million. When troops of the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979, trncks supporting the Soviet military units were identified as products of the Kania River factory. in recent months, Kama River trucks have supported the military maneuvers of Soviet troops near the Polish border.