---
category: U.S. Government
end: 1992
location: Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska
start: 1946
summary: The Strategic Air Command (SAC) was a United States Air Force command responsible
  for the nation's strategic nuclear deterrence.
tags:
- Organization
- Military
- USA
---

The Strategic Air Command (SAC) was a United States Air Force command responsible for the nation's strategic nuclear deterrence. In the mid-1950s, SAC's American missiles and bombers were used to target and map Soviet sites, utilizing intelligence gathered by the [U-2 Spy Plane](/concepts/u-2-spy-plane/).[^1]

[^1]: Hersh, Seymour M. *The Samson Option: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal and American Foreign Policy*. Random House, 1991. Chapter 4.