Following the conclusion of World War II, a line was drawn across Korea, creating a separate North and South region. While the Soviet Union and U.S. had previously allied to defeat the Axis powers, the two nations were on opposite sides of an ideological philosophy, which would come to a head in the summer of 1950. While the Soviet’s championed communism and backed the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to the north, the U.S. was founded on the principles of democracy, freedom, and a capitalist-based economy, standing firmly behind the Republic of Korea in the south.
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Once the North Korean People’s Army stepped over the agreed upon 38th parallel line into South Korea, the first conflicts of the Cold War began. Often remembered as a proxy war, while North and South Korea were fighting each other, so too were American forces against the Soviets.
In terms of combat aircraft, the Korean War was an interesting period, as it was the first time jet fighters were predominately flown, albeit, not without some issues. The Korean War showcased some of the most intense dogfights in aerial combat history, involving the F-86 Sabre and MiG-15. But there were also some hold-over aircraft from World War II that participated in the conflict, quickly finding themselves outmatched by cutting-edge adversaries. Unfortunately, there were also a few examples from the Korean War period that made our list of the worst military bombers ever made.
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