Aircraft of The Cold War

Though they were never the most glamorous of warships, found US Navy frigates were frequently found on the frontlines of the Cold War at sea. These warships were the descendants of World War II's destroyer escorts, designed primarily to escort convoys. They specialized in anti-submarine warfare, but were intended to be numerous, tough, versatile, and well-armed enough to show US naval power around the world, performing roles that varied from intercepting drug-smugglers to defending aircraft carriers.

'Spy in the Sky' matters have long been a source of interest and fascination for aircraft enthusiasts, historians and modellers and none more so than the elusive and secretive Soviet types of the Cold War era.

For the first time the Imperial War Museum allows cameras behind the scenes. Revealing the pressures faced and satisfaction felt by experts and volunteers as they work to preserve objects and stories from our wartime past.