Strategic Air Command

Strategic Air Command (SAC) was the pre-eminent military actor in US nuclear foreign policy from the start to the end of the Cold War. This book provides a history of SAC, from its beginning through to the end of the Korean War. It also covers the introduction of new aircraft and early ballistic missiles, including the Cuban missile crisis. Post-Cuba, the B-52 and KC-135 dominated the force. In the late 1960s and 1970s, Vietnam put pressure on the bomber force. This is followed by a relative period of stability in the 1980s, with SAC readiness reaching its peak as provider of tankers and bombers in conventional non-nuclear operations. With over 180 images, this book explores the history of SAC, its operations and aircraft, and the importance of its reconnaissance and readiness programs.