The final decade of the Cold War saw unprecedented peacetime expansion of the US Navy, including Naval Aviation. President Reagans plan for a 600-ship Navy resulted in stepped-up construction of Nimitz class supercarriers and the aircraft to operate from them, including new types like the F/A-18 Hornet. Naval aviation was highly diverse, from carrier-borne F-14 Tomcats to P-3 Orions keeping vigil over the worlds oceans, SH-2 Seasprites operating from tiny landing pads on warships in heaving seas, and land-based adversaries playing the opposing force "bad guys" during training. Tensions were high in the 1980s.
While US carrier battle groups prepared for confrontation with the Soviets, should the Cold War turn "hot", they also engaged in combat operations in the Mediterranean and Persian Gulf.
Group
Books (first-hand)
Author
Symonds, Adrian
Title
US Naval Aviation in the 1980's. Atlantic and Pacific Fleet Stations
Details
English text, paperback, many colour photos. 96 pages.
