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Tolkachev, Cold War Spycraft, and Modern Risks for China ( Source- The Diplomat / Author- Robert Farley)

MIG-31 ( Image credits- Wikimedia Commons / Dmitriy Pichugin) Source- The Diplomat Author- Robert Farley Will we ever have a Chinese Tolkachev? As detailed in David Hoffman’s Billion Dollar Spy, between 1979 and 1985, Soviet radar engineer Adolf Tolkachev turned his hatred of the Soviet regime into some of the most devastating industrial espionage ever conducted. Tolkachev took advantage of his position at the radar design firm Phazotron to make copies and photographs of volumes of material associated with Soviet radar and electronics systems. This gave the United States an inside look at the sensor capabilities of the USSR’s most advanced fighters and interceptors. The impact of Tolkachev’s espionage was virtually incalculable. The material acquired helped to shift decisions and priorities within the U.S. defense-industrial complex, especially with regard to aerospace technology. It may have given the U.S. a massive, enduring advantage in aircraft effectiveness s