Editing Bomber (section)

===Cold War===
[[ File:XH558 (G-VLCN) Avro Vulcan - Last Flight over Farnborough (cropped).jpg|left|thumb|An RAF [[Avro Vulcan]] ]]
At the start of the Cold War, bombers were the only means of carrying [[Nuclear warfare|nuclear]] weapons to enemy targets, and had the role of [[deterrence theory|deterrence]]. With the advent of guided air-to-air missiles, bombers needed to avoid interception. High-speed and high-altitude flying became a means of evading detection and attack. Designs such as the [[English Electric Canberra]] could fly faster or higher than contemporary fighters. When surface-to-air missiles became capable of hitting high-flying bombers, bombers were flown at low altitudes to evade radar detection and interception.

Once "stand off" nuclear weapon designs were developed, bombers did not need to pass over the target to make an attack; they could fire and turn away to escape the blast. Nuclear strike aircraft were generally finished in bare metal or [[anti-flash white]] to minimize absorption of [[thermal radiation]] from the [[Effects of nuclear explosions|flash]] of a [[nuclear explosion]]. The need to drop conventional bombs remained in conflicts with non-nuclear powers, such as the [[Vietnam War]] or [[Malayan Emergency]].

The development of large strategic bombers stagnated in the later part of the Cold War because of spiraling costs and the development of the [[Intercontinental ballistic missile]] (ICBM) – which was felt to have similar deterrent value while being impossible to intercept. Because of this, the United States Air Force [[XB-70 Valkyrie]] program was cancelled in the early 1960s; the later [[B-1 Lancer|B-1B Lancer]] and [[B-2 Spirit]] aircraft entered service only after protracted political and development problems. Their high cost meant that few were built and the 1950s-designed B-52s are projected to remain in use until the 2040s. Similarly, the Soviet Union used the intermediate-range [[Tupolev Tu-22M|Tu-22M]] 'Backfire' in the 1970s, but their [[Mach number|Mach 3]] bomber project stalled. The Mach 2 [[Tu-160|Tu-160 'Blackjack']] was built only in tiny numbers, leaving the 1950s Tupolev Tu-16 and [[Tupolev Tu-95|Tu-95]] 'Bear' heavy bombers to continue being used into the 21st century.

The [[United Kingdom|British]] strategic bombing force largely came to an end when the [[V bomber]] force was phased out; the last of which left service in 1983. The French [[Mirage IV]] bomber version was retired in 1996, although the Mirage 2000N and the Rafale have taken on this role. The only other nation that fields strategic bombing forces is [[China]], which has a number of [[Xian H-6]]s.
[[File:USAF B-2 (cropped).jpg|thumb|The [[U.S Air Force]] [[Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit|B-2]] [[Stealth aircraft|stealth bomber]] ]]