Sea Your History - Cold War Climate: Fleet Air Arm

Conflict and Change

Introduction
In Focus: 1900
In Focus: World War One
In Focus: Interwar
In Focus: World War Two
In Focus: Post War Conflict
In Focus: Cold War Climate
In Focus: Falklands and Beyond
Special Exhibition: Falklands 25
Learning
How To: Understand Propaganda
Propaganda Image Galleries
Education Project: Sea With Your Own Eyes

Cold War Climate: Fleet Air Arm

The conflicts and operational developments of the Fleet Air Arm during the Cold War period

At the end of World War Two the strength of the Fleet Air Arm had reached around 11 000 aircraft. These numbers soon began to shrink as the Navy scrapped or returned the American Lend/Lease aircraft and the service adjusted to lesser peace time demands. Naval aircraft, however, did see considerable service between 1950 and 1953 during the Korean War and were in action briefly during the Suez Campaign in late 1956. The new Sea Harrier jets soon succeeded the older piston engined aeroplanes and there was a change to helicoptors for many functions.