Looking Down the Corridors

Between 1945 and 1900 the British Government mounted some of the most successful intelligence operations of the Cold War. Conducted in great secrecy, aircrews flew specially modified light aircraft to gather intelligence on the Soviet and East German military targets that surrounded Berlin. Flying through designated air corridors (flight paths), they operated under the guise of transport and training flights, gathering huge amounts of imagery for nearly fifty years. Together with their French and US counterparts, they provided the western intelligence community with unique knowledge of the organisation and equipment used by Warsaw Pact forces. This knowledge played its part in maintaining the balance of power between east and west. For the first time, using recently declassified materials and extensive interviews with those involved, this book provides a detailed account and analysis of these operations and their unique contribution to the Cold War intelligence picture.