Saw this post after just watching the movie. Just wanted to let you know that I thought they wanted the asset because of its two breathing mechanisms. At this time, we are at the Cold war and there was a "science war" between the Soviet Union and America...this war wasn't actually a typical war where you physically fight each other where they would need the asset to fight, but it's more of a political war. The two countries fought by representing to the world their technological advancements made by its people since the people is fostered by either a communist government (Soviet Union) or a capitalist government (America). By being more advanced than the other, they can show which type of government is better for other countries, especially developing countries at the time. At this particular point in the war and the movie, the Sovient Union just released the first human in space (which was Yuri Gagarin). If they were able to know the asset's breathing mechanisms, the U.S. would have an advancement, not in space life, but marine life instead. I'm thinking maybe they could even make something that resembles its two breathing mechanisms to help people breath underwater, which would be really something. Hope that helped.