Black Sea Bumping Incident: When the Soviet Navy ‘Bumped’ the US Out of Its Territorial Waters
In the 1980s, the Soviet Union took several measures to get American warships out of its territorial waters – this including playing an old-fashioned game…
How Many Times Did the World Nearly End During the Cold War? Answer: A Lot
There were numerous times throughout the Cold War where the world nearly ended. The Cuban Missile Crisis, for example, saw the United States and Soviet…
Two KGB and CIA Operatives Were Tasked With Corrupting Each Other – They Forged a Friendship Instead
The KGB and the CIA were notorious enemies during the Cold War. As national security agencies for two warring nations, their operatives were tasked with…
Viktor Belenko: The Soviet Pilot Whose Defection Gave the West Access to the MiG-25
Viktor Belenko was a Soviet pilot who defected to the United States during the height of the Cold War. A number of things make his…
Ronald Reagan’s Star Wars Program Featured Space Lasers for Nuclear Defense
By the 1980s, the threat of nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union was a very real possibility. US President Ronald Reagan…
Lionel Crabb: The Mystery Behind the Missing British Frogman
During the Second World War, there were a variety of special units created to deal with threats from enemies both at home and overseas. One…
The US Air Force Lost An Atomic Bomb Over the Canadian Wilderness
“Broken arrow” is the term used when a nuclear weapon is stolen, lost or unintentionally detonated. It was first used in 1950, when an American…
Frogmen: Before Navy SEALs, Underwater Demolition Teams Were Making a Splash on the Battlefield
The Navy SEALs are among the most highly-regarded Special Operations forces in the United States, only made more illusive by stories of their various units,…
The US Army Once Tried to Turn a Nerf Football Into a Grenade
The Cold War was a time of near constant military innovation. The frequent advancement of weapons of war required a fast response, which sometimes meant…
Flakpanzer Gepard: A Cold War-Era Anti-Aircraft Gun That Continues to See Use
In May 1955, nearly a decade after the end of the Second World War, West Germany joined NATO. Reacting to the decision, the Soviet Union…
John Wheeler and the Missing Papers That Nearly Sparked a Cold War Catastrophe
Even the most brilliant people on the planet can sometimes be a bit absent-minded. John Wheeler certainly fit this category. The theoretical physicist is credited…
Wilbert “Doug” Pearson Is the Only Pilot to Have Scored an Air-to-Space Kill
On September 13, 1985, the US Air Force made history. On this day, the first air-to-space missile was launched, successfully destroying an orbiting satellite. Powerful…