The reactivation of Cold War weapons for the war in Ukraine is a stark reminder of the ongoing conflicts in the region. Both sides are utilizing a mix of modern tanks and older Soviet models such as the T-72 and the even more ancient T-55 tank. The Czech Republic and Poland have also resurrected their stockpiles of these tank vehicles and delivered hundreds of them to support the Ukrainian forces. These weapons, remnants of the political alliance they emerged from – the Warsaw Pact, have endured, with generations of Eastern European soldiers still trained in their use. Even decades after the collapse of the Moscow-dominated alliance, the former member countries still possess these same weapons.
The group Conflict Armament Research (CAR) has documented the use of Czechoslovak Vz.58 assault rifles beyond Eastern Europe, in recent conflicts in Iraq, Niger, and South Sudan. Many of these rifles are over 50 years old, some damaged or incomplete. Despite their limited functionality, these rifles, weighing around 3 kilograms unloaded, have been deemed valuable enough to transport from one conflict zone to another.
During the Cold War, the Eastern Bloc was criticized for its intense weapon production and lack of long-term foresight. However, the cases highlighted here demonstrate that the parties involved in manufacturing and trading weapons in Czechoslovakia did consider issues of durability and weapon expiration. The actual lifespan of a weapon rarely ends when intended. So, why should military equipment have an expiration date at all?
The Scandal of Obsolescence
In the 1970s, the Czechoslovakia sold a batch of Semtex explosives to Libya. A decade later, it surfaced in bombs in Northern Ireland and on the British mainland. Most shockingly, Semtex was reportedly responsible for the 1988 crash of a transatlantic flight over the Scottish town of Lockerbie, resulting in the deaths of 259 passengers and 11 residents.
![](https://www.eurozine.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/1024px-Vojenska_prehlidka_1985b.jpg)
Czechoslovak Military Parade in Prague on May 9, 1985. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
One of the final decisions of the Czechoslovak government was to sign a contract requiring the labeling and traceability of plastic explosives. After the Velvet Revolution in 1989, the company Explosia, which produced Semtex, stated that the explosive’s shelf life was not ten but only five years. It was not durable enough to be used for purposes other than those intended for conflicts.
The motivation to shorten the lifespan of Semtex may appear initially as an inevitable side effect of the transformation from a socialist republic to a market economy. Planned obsolescence (the intentional production of short-lived goods) has often been viewed as a capitalist tactic to drive consumers to purchase newer models of the same product. Critics of this business practice decry the waste of resources and the encouragement of insatiable consumer behavior.
The concept of planned obsolescence reflects a certain arrogance in assuming the programmed end of a product. This text will explore how the military-industrial complex in Czechoslovakia navigated the complexities of weapon longevity as geopolitical landscapes shifted and technologies evolved.
New Markets for Old Weapons
Cold War weapons have seen extended use in conflicts far beyond what their creators deemed safe. Some were sold overseas during the Cold War through intergovernmental agreements or intermediaries like Omnipol, while others entered the global arms market in the 1990s as manufacturers reassessed their production processes.
The majority of Czechoslovak weapons identified by CAR in Iraq, Niger, and South Sudan arrived overseas after the Cold War. The revolutions in Central and Eastern Europe had significant impacts on the global arms trade, with a sudden influx of second-hand equipment flooding export markets, competing with new production. Disputes over the maintenance and functionality of these aging weapons continue to be a factor in modern conflicts.
Challenges of Durability and Responsibility
The durability of a weapon goes beyond just the materials used; maintenance is a crucial aspect when relying on older weapons or military vehicles. Furthermore, storage conditions play a significant role in the longevity of these weapons, as evidenced by incidents such as the Beirut explosion in 2020.
For manufacturers like Explosia, the issue of planned obsolescence and the responsibility for weapon longevity remain contentious topics. The implications of assigning a product a predetermined lifespan extend beyond the immediate transaction to encompass broader societal considerations.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the complexities of weapon durability, planned obsolescence, and the long-term implications of these decisions resonate far beyond the initial design and sale of military equipment. As conflicts persist and geopolitical landscapes evolve, questions around the responsibility of manufacturers, the reliability of aging weapons, and the moral implications of planned obsolescence continue to shape the global arms trade. The case of Semtex serves as a poignant example of how decisions made decades ago continue to impact present-day conflicts and underscore the need for a nuanced understanding of weapon longevity.
This article was written as part of the youth project “From the Knowledge of the Young: Science Communication with Young Adults in Times of War,” funded by the Cultural Department of the City of Vienna.