Strategic Air Command

The Strategic Air Command (SAC) was the organization tasked with the responsibility of managing the U.S. arsenal of nuclear weapons from 1946 to 1992. From its headquarters located at Offutt Air Force Base outside Omaha, Nebraska, SAC managed the fleet of nuclear bombers, ballistic missiles, and related nuclear warheads. Additionally, SAC provided aerial reconnaissance, electronic intelligence, airborne refueling, and, for a time, fighter escorts. In short, SAC provided a mobile, flexible, and powerful force dedicated to preventing nuclear war, while retaining the power to conduct it as well. At the end of the Cold War, SAC was decommissioned, and the mission of nuclear deterrence was incorporated into the newly formed U.S. Strategic Command. This entry describes the history, missions, aircraft and equipment, and missile systems ...