If you want a cold war simulation, try it with JavaScript turned off.
Technically, yes. It's meant to escalate from cold to hot as munitions stockpiles build.
But that doesn't make for a very interesting presentation, so it goes direct to Hot.
I think WWIII sim is probably a better description. Or could go with the 1985 War Games "Global Thermonuclear War". Just nitpicking. The simulation is awesome.
I was thinking the same thing. I was expecting the initial flurry of planes to skirt the opponent's airspace, provoking but not violating :)