The History of Semtex

Czechoslovak Army wanted a plastic explosive that could resist machine gun fire without exploding. Stanislav Brabera, a talented chemist, was considered crucial for this enterprise. The scientists got around 15,000 Czechoslovak crowns for the invention. That amount of money was equal to the average annual salary in communist Czechoslovakia. Ivo Varga is leading specialist with Exposia, the company which produces Semtex today.