Bombers

In the days before intercontinental ballistic missiles, the world’s super powers worked in secret to design and build fleets of amazing bombers aimed at delivering death and destruction to their enemies.

In this program, HISTORY™ takes an up-close look at the pioneering aircraft deployed by East and West during the high-stakes period of the Cold War. First, learn how the Soviets used propaganda at a Moscow military air show to trick the West into thinking it had developed a squadron of M-4 Bison bombers instead of a mere 18 prototypes. Next, examine Soviet efforts to build a long-range bomber fleet and recall their successful reverse engineering of the U.S. B-29. Finally, get an insight into the U.S. program to develop nuclear bombers capable of extended flight for weeks, or even months, and witness the impressive bombing accuracy of the B-2 Spirit (a.k.a., the Stealth Bomber) during the opening phases of the Iraq War.

Using specially commissioned computer graphics, previously unseen archive footage, and interviews with aviation experts, BOMBERS is a fascinating look at how the Cold War–era quest for superiority and security in the skies produced some of the most impressive aircraft in history.