So the Russians invented and built the first working RFID in 1945! No wonder they made such a big deal about being a nation of builders in their opening show for the Sochi Olympics. What happened to the USA that they began to underestimate these folks?<p>Now it becomes clear where all that weaponry and defense systems used in Syria comes from. And they keep hinting that they are only using a fraction of their capability, mostly old stuff.<p>If you think the USA defence establishment is equal or better, then I have to point out that they have nothing like SpaceX, Tesla or Google&#x27;s self drive cars. The secret sauce is that the private sector knows how to innovate and iterate and deliver working products.<p>Is it possible that the Russians have their own secret private sector building stuff? If so, they would need an entire secret economy that is impervious to sanctions, etc.