Vulcans.

This is coolbert:

Nuclear attack USA. Simulated massed manned long-range strategic bomber attack during the era of the Cold War. Code name Sky Shield.

THE ROYAL AIR FORCE [RAF] AS A PARTICIPANT BOMBED THE USA! SIMULATED OF COURSE.

This was Sky Shield. A test of American and North American air defenses reputed and touted as 99 % effective.

Go see the Mark Felton You Tube video and thanks to Mark.

Comments:

* Sky Shield a test of North American air defense against Soviet long-range strategic bomber attack over the Arctic Ocean southward toward the USA. All commercial air traffic grounded. Conditions IDEAL from the air defense standpoint as would not be the case in a real-world crisis.

* The much vaunted and again highly touted air defense [AD]  system defending North America said to be 99 % effective found to be only 25 % EFFECTIVE when tested by Sky Shield!!

* British contingents of RAF Vulcan bomber warplanes participating in the exercise able to penetrate American airspace unscathed. The Vulcan aircrews demonstrating they could have dropped atomic ordnance on American cities and done so with relative ease!!

* The Soviets undoubtedly {??] were cognizant of Sky Shield. Indeed, the Soviets observing the grounding of all commercial air traffic USA might have thought this was all a prelude to an American attack on the Soviet Union?

* The relative INEFFECTIVENESS of North American AD as confirmed by Sky Shield a major factor [?] in the decision to dismantle defense against manned bomber attack beginning with the Kennedy administration.

coolbert.