Strategic Air Command equipment includes weapon systems and ordnance (e.g., strategic weapons such as ICBMs), ground radars and computers (e.g., at SSN 1979-82), and other Cold War devices of the USAF major command.

Special Weapons Emergency Separation System This system (SWESS), also known informally as the dead man's switch, was a nuclear bomb release system that the United States Air Force Strategic Air Command built into bombers such as the B-52 Stratofortress. The system's purpose was to ensure that an aircraft's payload of nuclear weapons would detonate in the event of the crew becoming debilitated by enemy defences such as missiles. Once armed, the system would ensure that the onboard nuclear weapons detonated if the aircraft dropped below a predetermined altitude.

SAC Equipment SAC Equipment Type Model Start End Combat aircraft B-1 Lancer 1986 1992 Combat aircraft B-17 Flying Fortress (RB-17G) 1946 1951 Combat aircraft A-26 Invader (RB-26) 1949 1950 Combat aircraft B-29 Superfortress 1946 1953 Combat aircraft B-36 Peacemaker 1948 1958 Combat aircraft B-45 Tornado 1950 1953 Combat aircraft B-47 Stratojet 1951 1965 Combat aircraft B-50 Superfortress 1948 1954 Combat aircraft B-52 Stratofortress 1955 1992 Combat aircraft B-57 Canberra 1956 1962 Combat aircraft B-58 Hustler 1960 1969 Combat aircraft C-119 Flying Boxcar 1956 1973 Combat aircraft DC-130 Hercules 1966 1976 Combat aircraft EC-135 Looking Glass 1963 1992 Combat aircraft F-2 Expeditor (F=Fotorecon; C-45) Combat aircraft F-6 Mustang (F=Fotorecon; P-51) Combat aircraft F-9 Flying Fortress (F=Fotorecon; B-17F/G) Combat aircraft F-13 Superfortress (F=Fotorecon; B-29A) Combat aircraft F-47 Thunderbolt (P-47) 1946 1947 Combat aircraft F-51 Mustang (P-51) 1946 1949 Combat aircraft F-82 Twin Mustang 1947 1950 Combat aircraft F-80 Shooting Star 1946 1948 Combat aircraft F-84 Thunderjet 1948 1957 Combat aircraft F-86 Sabre 1949 1950 Combat aircraft F-102 Delta Dagger 1960 1976 Combat aircraft FB-111 Aardvark 1969 1990 Combat aircraft KC-10 Extender 1981 1992 Combat aircraft KB-29 1949 1956 Combat aircraft KC-97 Stratofreighter SAC 1951 1964 Combat aircraft KC-135 Stratotanker SAC 1957 1991 Combat aircraft RC-45 Expeditor Combat aircraft RC-135 1961 1991 Combat aircraft SR-71 Blackbird 1966 1991 Combat aircraft U-2 Dragon Lady 1962 1991 Combat aircraft TR-1 Dragon Lady 1989 1991 Support aircraft UC-45 Expeditor Support aircraft AT-11 Kansan Support aircraft B-26 Invader 1949 1950 Support aircraft C-45 Expeditor 1946 1951 Support aircraft C-47 Skytrain 1946 1947 Support aircraft C-54 Skymaster 1946 1975 Support aircraft C-82 Packet 1946 1947 Support aircraft C-97 Stratofreighter 1949 1978 Support aircraft C-118 Liftmaster 1957 1975 Support aircraft C-124 Globemaster II 1959 1962 Support aircraft C-131 Samaritan Support aircraft C-135 Stratolifter Support aircraft CH-3 Sea King SAC c. 1960s Support aircraft HU-16 Albatross SAC c. 1950s/1960s Support aircraft L-4 Grasshopper 1949 1950 Support aircraft L-5 Sentinel 1949 1950 Support aircraft L-13 Grasshopper 1949 1950 Support aircraft PBY Catalina Support aircraft T-38 Talon 1981 1991 Support aircraft UH-1 Iroquois 1966 1992 Missile ADM-20 Quail Missile AGM-28 Hound Dog Missile AGM-69 SRAM Missile AGM-84 Harpoon Missile AGM-86 Air Launched Cruise Missile Missile AGM-129 Advanced Cruise Missile Missile HGM-16 Atlas Missile HGM-25A Titan I Missile LGM-25 Titan II Missile LGM-30A/B Minuteman I Missile LGM-30F Minuteman II Missile LGM-30G Minuteman III Missile LGM-118A Peacekeeper Missile SM-62 Snark Missile PGM-17A Thor Missile PGM-19A Jupiter Ground system Athena computer Ground system AN/MPS-9 Ground system AN/MSQ-1 Ground system AN/MSQ-2 Ground system AN/MSQ-35 Ground system AN/MSQ-77 1965 Ground system AN/MSQ-81 Ground system AN/MSQ-96 Ground system AN/TLQ-11 Ground system BMEWS 1979 1982 Ground system GWEN Ground system train: Big Star (ICBM) Ground system trains: RBS Express (3) 1961 Ground system SACCCS

See also Permissive Action Link Fail-deadly

References