oct 7, 1956 - The new U2 spy plane took photos in the USSR

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The new U2 spy plane took photos in the USSR which at first suggested an alarming number of long range bombers - until it transpired that they were all on the same airfield at once. By the end of 1956 it clear there was no ‘bomber gap’ after all.​

Khrushchev decided that missiles were the weapons of the future because ships and bombers were becoming obsolete. Planes were slow and could be shot down. He set up a top secret rocket base in the Kazakhstan desert.​

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