Top 10+ Times the Soviets Shot Down American warplanes in the Cold War

The dangerous skies of the Cold War were even more perilous than is often understood.

There were several times Soviet air defences shot down warplanes from the USA. Now largely forgotten, they reveal the startlingly dangerous nature of Cold War flying. Here are 10, often shocking, times the Soviets Shot Down US warplanes in the Cold War.

PICTURE: US pilot Gary Powers with the U-2; he was shot down in a U-2 in May 1960

10: April 8 1950 - PB4Y-2 Privateer

The PB4Y-2 Privateer was a well-trusted US Navy patrol bomber adapted from the B-24 bomber. Used in the second world war, it later served as a reconnaissance aircraft. Its long range and large airframe made it suitable for surveillance, including maritime patrol and electronic intelligence collection missions.

During the Cold War, Privateers conducted “Ferret” missions to intercept and study enemy radar and communications. Some were modified for nuclear delivery, but most aimed to provoke enemy intercepts and record air defence chatter. These high-risk flights pushed into contested airspace, gathering critical electronic intelligence for US military analysts.

On April 8, 1950, a VP-26 PB4Y-2 Privateer was intercepted by Soviet La-11 fighters over the Baltic Sea. It was shot down, killing all ten crew (though there were rumours that eight of them were captured and sent to a gulag). The aircraft was reportedly attacked even after crashing. This marked one of the earliest deadly Cold War confrontations between US and Soviet forces. As you would expect with such secretive missions, many of our photos show the aircraft type rather than the specific airframe shot down.

Several Privateers loaned to the Nationalist Chinese Air Force also fell to Communist Chinese fighters during similar missions. These aircraft, used for spying and signal gathering, often operated deep in enemy-controlled skies. Despite their intelligence value, Privateers were vulnerable and frequently became casualties of escalating Cold War tensions.

9: January 28 1964 - T-39 Sabreliner

On January 28, 1964, a US Air Force T-39 Sabreliner on a routine training flight was shot down by a Soviet MiG-19 near Erfurt, East Germany. The unarmed jet had taken off on a cloudy winter afternoon from Wiesbaden Air Base but reportedly strayed into East German airspace due to navigational error or weather conditions.

The T-39, a twin-engine jet used for training and transport, carried three US airmen. As it approached the East-West German border, Soviet radar picked up the aircraft. Two MiG-19s were scrambled to intercept. Despite the T-39’s apparent non-threatening profile, the Soviets engaged without warning, firing and destroying the jet in midair.

All three crew members were killed instantly. The incident provoked outrage in the West, with US officials calling it an unjustified attack on an unarmed training flight. The Soviets insisted the plane had violated their airspace and ignored orders to land. Diplomatic protests followed, but tensions remained high throughout the Cold War.

The shootdown exemplified the razor-thin margins of error during Cold War reconnaissance and training missions. Even peacetime flights could trigger deadly encounters in divided skies. The 1964 T-39 incident served as a grim reminder that Cold War boundaries were not just political - they could also be lethal.

8: July 1 1960 – RB-47H

On July 1, 1960, a US Air Force RB-47H reconnaissance aircraft was shot down by a Soviet MiG-19 over the Barents Sea. Flying in international airspace, the RB-47H was on an electronic intelligence mission when it was attacked, leading to the deaths of four crew members and the capture of two.

The Soviet pilot reportedly jammed the RB-47’s MD-4 fire control system, disabling its tail guns and leaving it defenceless. The two surviving crew members were held in Soviet captivity for over a year before being released in 1961, after diplomatic pressure from the American government.

The RB-47H, part of America’s strategic reconnaissance fleet, had a long history of high-risk missions along Soviet borders. On April 28, 1965, another RB-47 was attacked by North Korean MiG-17s over the Sea of Japan. Despite sustaining heavy damage and losing three of its six engines, it managed to return to base.

The RB-47 remained in limited use into the Vietnam War, conducting ELINT (electronic intelligence) relay missions. However, the ageing platform was soon replaced by the more advanced RC-135. The last RB-47H was officially retired on December 29, 1967, marking the end of a dangerous but critical chapter in Cold War aerial espionage.

7: October 21 1970 – RU-8 Seminole

On October 21, 1970, a US Army RU-8 Seminole reconnaissance aircraft strayed into Soviet airspace over the Soviet Republic of Armenia. The RU-8, a modified Beechcraft used for electronic surveillance, was conducting an intelligence mission when it reportedly suffered navigational issues, inadvertently crossing the sensitive border during heightened Cold War tensions.

Flying near the Turkish-Soviet frontier, the aircraft entered Soviet territory under unclear circumstances. The incident triggered a rapid Soviet military response. Though intercepted, the RU-8 managed a forced landing without fatalities. Remarkably, all four crew members survived the ordeal and were later rescued and returned safely, avoiding a major international crisis.

The loss of the RU-8 highlighted the risks associated with Cold War intelligence-gathering missions along volatile borders. Reconnaissance aircraft like the Seminole were often deployed in ambiguous airspace, relying on outdated navigation systems and flying perilously close to hostile zones in order to intercept enemy communications and radar signals.

Despite the successful rescue, the incident served as a stark reminder of how easily intelligence missions could escalate into international incidents. Fortunately, in this case, diplomacy prevailed over escalation. The RU-8 crew’s survival and recovery offered a rare, positive ending in the often dangerous world of Cold War aerial espionage operations.

6: March 10 1964 – RB-66 Destroyer

The RB-66 Destroyer was a US Air Force electronic reconnaissance aircraft developed from the B-66 bomber. Equipped with advanced sensors, it was designed to collect signals intelligence and jam enemy radar. During the Cold War, it flew dangerous missions near hostile borders, gathering crucial electronic data on Soviet and Warsaw Pact defences.

On March 10, 1964, an RB-66 launched from Toul-Rosières Air Base in France for a routine training and reconnaissance flight. Due to a navigational error, the aircraft strayed into East German airspace. The intrusion triggered a swift Soviet response, as border defences went on high alert in minutes.

Two Soviet MiG-19 fighters intercepted the RB-66 and opened fire without warning. The aircraft was quickly shot down over East German territory. All three American crew members survived the crash but were immediately captured by East German authorities and handed over to the Soviets for interrogation.

The US protested, claiming the incursion was unintentional. The Soviets used the incident for propaganda while Cold War tensions simmered. After two months of diplomatic negotiations, the crew was released and returned safely. The RB-66 incident became another flashpoint in the perilous game of brinkmanship that defined Cold War aerial intelligence operations.

5: May 1 1960 - U-2

This shootdown is likely the most famous in history and involves the U-2. The U-2 was a high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft developed by the US in a freakishly short time by the design genius Kelly Johnson to gather intelligence on the Soviet Union. Capable of flying above 70,000 feet, it was believed to be beyond the reach of enemy defences.

On May 1, 1960, CIA pilot Francis Gary Powers took off from Pakistan in a U-2 to photograph Soviet missile sites. As he crossed deeper into Soviet airspace, a surface-to-air missile struck his aircraft near Sverdlovsk. Powers ejected and parachuted down, surviving the crash and falling into Soviet custody.

Initially, US officials claimed the U-2 was a weather research plane that had strayed off course. However, the Soviets quickly revealed they had captured Powers alive along with the wreckage, exposing the mission. The deception severely damaged US credibility and embarrassed the Eisenhower administration on the global stage.

The incident wrecked a major summit between Eisenhower and Khrushchev and intensified Cold War hostilities. Powers was tried and sentenced in the USSR but was exchanged in 1962 for Soviet spy Rudolf Abel. The shootdown marked the end of U-2 overflights of Soviet territory and forced a new era in aerial espionage. Powers himself died in August 1977 in a crash in a news helicopter near Los Angeles.

4: October 7 1952 - RB-29

The RB-29 Superfortress was a reconnaissance variant of the famous B-29 Superfortress, equipped with high-resolution cameras and electronic surveillance gear. Built initially to drop bombs over Japan, this aircraft found a new role in the Cold War—snooping along hostile borders, capturing radar signals, and photographing military installations from long distances .

The Lavochkin La-11 was a Soviet long-range escort and interception fighter, derived from the successful La-9. Though outdated by the jet age, it remained effective at medium altitudes with its trio of 23mm cannons, long flight endurance, and robust construction. It was the Soviet answer to high-altitude intrusions in sensitive airspace.

The RB-29 mission on October 7, 1952, took it near Vladivostok, officially designated as a weather reconnaissance flight. In reality, it was likely gathering electronic intelligence. Two La-11s from the Soviet Pacific Fleet Air Force intercepted the aircraft, approaching at close range to signal the American crew to change course or comply (bomber version pictured).

When the RB-29 continued on its path - reportedly violating Soviet airspace - the La-11s responded with cannon fire. The American aircraft was severely damaged and crashed into the Sea of Japan. Of the crew on board, only one survived and was rescued by an American ship. The incident remains a stark moment in aerial surveillance history.

3: June 27 1958 - C-118 Liftmaster

The C-118 Liftmaster was a military transport aircraft derived from the Douglas DC-6 airliner. Used by the United States Air Force, it served as a cargo and personnel carrier, often flying long-range missions over international airspace. With reliable engines and extended range, it was well-suited for strategic operations across vast distances.

On June 27, 1958, a US Air Force C-118 was flying a routine flight from Wiesbaden in West Germany, to Karachi in Pakistan. The route took the aircraft near Soviet Armenian territory. While the C-118 maintained it was in international airspace, Soviet radar tracked its path and scrambled MiG fighters in response.

Soviet MiG-17 ‘Fresco’ jets (pictured) intercepted the unarmed transport plane near the Turkish-Soviet border. Despite efforts to avoid confrontation, the Soviet pilots opened fire, severely damaging the aircraft. The American crew executed an emergency landing in a field near Kars, Turkey. Miraculously, all passengers and crew survived the forced landing.

The incident prompted swift diplomatic exchanges. The United States claimed the C-118 never entered Soviet territory, while the USSR insisted the aircraft had crossed the border. The plane was later returned in pieces, and the crew repatriated. The event highlighted the risks even non-combat aircraft faced when operating near sensitive regions.

2: March 10 1964 – RB-66C

The next incident again features the RB-66 Destroyer. Designed for high-speed, all-weather intelligence missions, it carried radar and electronic surveillance equipment rather than bombs. Its role was to monitor enemy defences, gather signals intelligence, and map radar installations during long, often risky, flights near foreign airspace.

On March 10, 1964, an RB-66C was conducting an electronic reconnaissance mission near the East German border, operating from Toul-Rosières Air Base in France. While flying near Gardelegen in East Germany, the aircraft reportedly strayed into restricted Soviet-controlled airspace. Soviet ground stations detected the incursion and dispatched interceptors to investigate and engage.

Soviet MiG-21s approached and, without warning, fired upon the American aircraft. The RB-66 was struck and began to lose altitude rapidly. The crew—three US Air Force officers—ejected safely before the aircraft crashed inside East German territory. They were quickly captured by East German authorities and held for interrogation.

The three crew members were released eleven days later, after negotiations between US and Soviet officials. The RB-66 continued to serve into the early 1970s, flying electronic warfare and reconnaissance missions in Europe and Southeast Asia, particularly during the Vietnam War, before being phased out in favour of more advanced aircraft.

1: September 2 1958 - C-130

Since it entered service in 1956, the C-130 Hercules has enjoyed phenomenal success that continues to this day. Many decades later. This versatile, four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft found use in virtually every role, and was present at some of the ugliest moments of history. In addition to being the backbone of US Air Force logistics, it also undertook covert reconnaissance missions. 

The Soviet Union’s primary defender against such missions was the potent MiG-17, a jet fighter that entered service in the early 1950s. It was a swept-wing development of the earlier MiG-15; armed with 23mm and 37mm cannon, the MiG-17 remained a formidable fighter in 1958.