6The Cold War saw the once-allies of the Second World War pitted against each other in a power play that was to last more than three decades. With Russia and her Warsaw Pact allies in the East and the UK with the US and their NATO allies in the West, both sides were in constant readiness to fend off an attack from opposing forces. Though the feared attacks never came, the decades saw tension and posturing on both sides until the war finally ended in 1991 after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

This striking photographic collection looks at the large variety of RAF aircraft involved in the Cold War. These included air defenders such as Lightnings and Phantoms, which were often held ready to fly within ten minutes of an alert; strike/attack aircraft such as Buccaneers, Jaguars and Harriers, based in Germany; Victors, Tristars and VC10s for refueling; and Nimrods for maritime surveillance and antisubmarine action. As the war progressed, some types of aircraft would be replaced by other, more advanced machines. The iconic Vulcan was eventually replaced by the Tornado GR1 in the UK, the Tornado F3 took over the UK air defense role from the Lightning and TWU Hawks were introduced as part of the Mixed Fighter Force. This book brings these classic aircraft to life with stunning photography, displaying them in all their glory, flying through the skies of a world divided by an iron curtain.