Final answer:
Airpower's most decisive contribution to the Cold War was its role in the nuclear arms race and deterrence through the policy of mutually assured destruction. This included the delivery of nuclear weapons and the use of reconnaissance for intelligence gathering. Initiatives like the Strategic Defense Initiative also shifted the arms race to space, affecting the Cold War's trajectory.
Step-by-step explanation:
The most decisive contribution of airpower during the Cold War was its role in the nuclear arms race and deterrence. The ability to deliver nuclear weapons via bombers and, later, Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) was crucial to the policy of mutually assured destruction (MAD), which prevented direct military confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union. The development and advancement of airpower made both nations capable of causing significant damage to the other, thereby establishing a precarious balance of power that defined the cold hostilities throughout those years.
Another pivotal airpower contribution came through reconnaissance and surveillance. High-altitude spy planes, such as the U-2, and satellites played a significant part in gathering intelligence on the capabilities and intentions of each side, which was essential for maintaining strategic equilibrium. Later in the Cold War, the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), known colloquially as "Star Wars," was a program initiated by the U.S. to develop a missile defense system, which wasn't fully realized but shifted the focus to space as an extension of airpower and contributed to the eventual end of the Cold War struggle.