SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic missile ( ICBM ) strategic nuclear arsenal from 1946 to 1992.

SAC also controlled the infrastructure necessary to support the strategic bomber and ICBM operations, such as aerial refueling tanker aircraft to refuel the bombers in flight, strategic reconnaissance aircraft, command post aircraft, and, until 1957, fighter escorts.

Another change in late 2009 and early 2010 resulted in the transfer of the ICBM force from AFSPC and the B-52 and B-2 strategic bomber force from ACC to the newly-established Air Force Global Strike Command ( AFGSC ), which is a direct descendant of SAC.

Despite having a limited range, by the end of LeMay ’ s command in 1957, the B-47 had become the backbone of SAC, comprising over half of its total aircraft and eighty percent of its bomber capacity.

A key factor enabling the B-47 to become the mainstay of SAC ( and to fulfill LeMay ’ s desire for a long range bomber ) was the development of in-flight refueling.

But SAC did more than just provide a nuclear option during the Korean War, It also deployed four B-29 bomber wings that were used in tactical operations against enemy forces and logistics All of this led LeMay to express concern that “ too many splinters were being whittled off the stick ”, preventing him from being able to carry out his primary mission of strategic deterrence.

The B-70 was intended to eventually replace the B-52 in the long-range role, and while SAC initially thought it could eliminate the medium bomber role of the B-47, it had retrenched from this position and introduced the B-58 to replace the B-47 in the medium range role.

The aircraft would be equipped with the latest in electronics and communications equipment so that it would be able to assume control of all of SAC's bomber, aerial refueling and reconnaissance aircraft, as well as SAC's land-based intercontiental ballistic missile ( ICBM ) force and the U. S. Navy's Fleet Ballistic Missile ( FBM ) submarine force in the event SAC headquarters was destroyed.

In 1985, after waiting decades for a new penetrating manned bomber, SAC took delivery of its first B-1B Lancer, while concurrent development of the black project that would eventually result in the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit also continued until that aircraft was officially unveiled to the public in late 1988.

On 27 September 1991, as the Soviet Union was dissolving after the August 1991 Soviet coup d ' état attempt, President George H. W. Bush began taking SAC bomber and associated aerial refuelling aircraft off continuous nuclear alert.

Strategic Air Command in the United Kingdom was among the command's largest overseas concentrations of forces, with additional forces at bases in North Africa during the 1950s and 1960s in addition to SAC bomber, tanker, and / or reconnaissance aircraft assets at the former Ramey AFB, Puerto Rico in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, and at Andersen AFB, Guam, RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom and the former NAS Keflavik, Iceland through the 1990s.

The stripe appeared on the sides of SAC aircraft in the area of the cockpit on bomber aircraft and mid-fuselage on tanker and command post aircraft running from the top to the bottom of the fuselage at an angle from 11 o ' clock to 5 o ' clock.

In service the V-Force would have been capable of destroying both area and high value point targets ( air bases, command centers, ground forces staging areas ) hours before they could be attacked by NATO or SAC ’ s, long range bomber forces.

A white paper produced by the Royal Air Force for the British government in 1961 claimed that the RAF's nuclear force was capable of destroying key Soviet cities such as Moscow and Kiev before bomber aircraft from the United States ' Strategic Air Command had entered Soviet airspace, " taking into account Bomber Command ’ s ability to be on target in the first wave several hours in advance of the main SAC force operating from bases in the United States .".

In the first known published account of the story, Life Magazine reporter Ernest Havemann related that LeMay once took the co-pilot's seat of a SAC bomber to observe the mission, complete with lit cigar.

The wing continued to support SAC operations in the Far East and Southeast Asia through 1975, and from April 1972 to October 1973 the wing again had all its bomber resources loaned to other organizations for combat and contingency operations.

In the early 1970s SAC began to consolidate it's B-52 assets as the age of the manned bomber was reduced with the advent of Intercontinental Strategic Ballistic Missiles.

Opened in 1943 during World War II, MHAFB was originally a bomber training base and later an operational SAC bomber and missile base ( 1953 – 65 ).

Before receiving the KC-135 tanker and heavy B-52 bomber aircraft of SAC, an all-weather, heavy-duty concrete runway was built, measuring 24 inches ( 61 cm ) thick, 150 feet ( 46 m ) wide.

Coincidentally and simultaneously, a new Russian jamming device begins radio jamming of communications between SAC headquarters and the bomber group with the result that the group commander, Colonel Jack Grady ( Edward Binns ), begins to lead the attack on Moscow.

With few exceptions, the action takes place largely in the White House underground bunker, the Pentagon war conference room, the SAC war room, and a single bomber cockpit.

In August 1951, SAC selected Sedalia AFB to be one of its new bombardment wings, with the first all-jet bomber, the B-47 Stratojet, and the KC-97 Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft assigned to the unit.

In the mid-1950s, the Strategic Air Command ( SAC ) noted Laughlin's remoteness that allowed for secret operations, and opened its strategic reconnaissance program there with the RB-57, a bomber modified for high-altitude reconnaissance.

ACC was essentially given the combined missions that SAC and TAC held respectively, with the newly-designated Air Mobility Command ( AMC ) inheriting most of SAC's KC-135 Stratotanker and KC-10 Extender aerial refueling tanker force, while a small portion of KC-135 aircraft were reassigned to United States Air Forces in Europe ( USAFE ) and Pacific Air Forces ( PACAF ), the latter to include PACAF-gained KC-135 aircraft of the Alaska Air National Guard.

On LeMay's departure, SAC was composed of 224, 000 airmen, close to 2, 000 heavy bombers, and nearly 800 tanker aircraft.

The wing's KC-135 tanker aircraft were subsequently reassigned to the 100th Air Refueling Wing, which SAC moved to Beale from Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, as part of SAC's phaseout from Davis-Monthan.

It was not until December 1957, however, that officials at HQ SAC announced the base would become the home of a B-52 bombardment squadron and a KC-135 air refueling tanker squadron.

With the Regular Air Force tanker fleet being used more and more in Southeast Asia after 1965 to support combat operations in South Vietnam, and the demands of the Strategic Air Command ( SAC ), which performed the nuclear deterrence mission.

AMC melded a worldwide airlift system ( MAC ) with a tanker force ( SAC ) that had been freed from its commitments by the collapse of the Soviet Union.

After spending weeks dropping bombs on ranges throughout the United States and engaging in navigational competition, SAC's finest bomber and tanker aircrews gathered here for the score posting and awards presentation, and to work together to improve the training of SAC aircrews.

Strategic Air Command ( SAC ) created a provisional tanker wing, the 802nd Air Refueling Wing ( P ) Provisional, at Lajes to support the airlift.

The first problem that caused the pause in reconnaissance flights took place on August 30, an Air Force Strategic Air Command ( SAC ) U-2 flew over Sakhalin Island in the Far East by mistake.

As a Strategic Air Command ( SAC ) unit, the 4080th was later redesignated the 100th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing and also acquired Lockheed DC-130 Hercules aircraft for launch and control of Firebee reconnaissance drones that were the precursors of contemporary unmanned aerial systems.

On 1 July 1978 the SAC 306th Strategic Wing was transferred to RAF Mildenhall from Ramstein Air Base, West Germany with a KC-135 air refueling and a RC-135 reconnaissance mission.

It is not known when SAC first began making reconnaissance flights in Europe with these aircraft.

SAC was the United States ' major nuclear deterrent force with bombers, tankers and reconnaissance aircraft and intercontinental ballistic missiles.

In the 1950s-1970s, the 39th supported various SAC activities in Turkey, which used Incirlik intensively as a base for U-2 reconnaissance flights along the Soviet border and in the Middle East.

* 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing ( SAC ) ( 1968 – 1974 ) ( A-12, SR-71 ) Deployed from Beale Air Force Base, California, Performed strategic reconnaissance over Southeast Asian enemy territory ( North Vietnam, Laos ).

The 66th Reconnaissance ( later, Strategic Reconnaissance ) Group, was a part of Strategic Air Command ( SAC ) from July 1947 – May 1951, at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana as an Air Force Reserve corollary unit under the guidance of active duty units in order to train and maintain currency in reconnaissance operations for its reserve personnel.

On 1 May 1949, the Strategic Air Command ( SAC ) became the parent major command for Travis AFB, turning it into a major long-range reconnaissance and intercontinental bombing installation for the 9th Bomb Group / 9th Bomb Wing.

Shemya also supported various SAC Boeing RC-135 " Rivet " reconnaissance aircraft flying along the Soviet Pacific Coast with on-board sensors which enable the crew to detect, identify and geolocate signals throughout the electromagnetic spectrum.

The station was also used by SAC Cobra Ball and other related projects which monitored missile-associated signals and tracks missiles during boost and re-entry phases to provide reconnaissance for treaty verification and theater ballistic missile proliferation.

During the Cold War, Upper Heyford initially served as a base for United States Air Force Strategic Air Command ( SAC ) strategic bombers and later United States Air Forces In Europe ( USAFE ) tactical reconnaissance, fighter and fighter-bomber aircraft in the UK.