Cold War

Operations of the cold war era of the Royal Air Force.

5 Operations Profiled
Featured Operation

Operation Plainfare

26 June 1948–30 September 1949

success

How the RAF’s Operation Plainfare helped sustain West Berlin during the Soviet blockade, flying food, coal and vital supplies into the city.

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Sorties 278,228 flights total
Era Cold War

Chronological Timeline · 5 operations

1957 –1958
Central Pacific: Malden Island and Kiritimati

Operation Grapple

How the RAF supported Operation Grapple through V-bomber delivery, cloud sampling and Pacific infrastructure during Britain’s H-bomb tests.

success
1982 2 April–14 June
Falkland Islands and South Atlantic

Operation Corporate

How the RAF supported Operation Corporate through Vulcan raids, Victor tanker missions and later tactical air operations in the Falklands War.

success
1948 26 June –30 September 1949
Berlin, Germany

Operation Plainfare

How the RAF’s Operation Plainfare helped sustain West Berlin during the Soviet blockade, flying food, coal and vital supplies into the city.

success
1956 29 October–7 November
Egypt and the Suez Canal zone

Operation Musketeer

How the RAF supported Operation Musketeer through transport flying, strike operations and airborne assault during the Suez Crisis.

failure
1982 30 April–12 June
Falkland Islands and South Atlantic

Operation Black Buck

Operation Black Buck was the RAF’s long-range bombing and anti-radar effort during the Falklands War, flown by Avro Vulcan bombers with extensive Handley Page Victor...

partial