SAC Refuelling Bases in Canada
The policy of nuclear deterrence during the Cold War relied heavily on Canadian geography from the late 1940s to the mid-1960s. As part of its contribution to the operations of the US Air Force's Strategic Air Command (SAC), the Canadian government permitted six refuelling bases on Canadian soil between the inclusion of Newfoundland in the Confederation in 1949 and the closure of the bases by 1964.
Refuelling bases were necessary for routine overflight operations by bomber aircraft; they maintained tanker aircraft designed to refuel American planes mid-air during prolonged missions. However, they also posed issues for Canadian sovereignty, information security, and diplomacy. This briefing book will explore the development of these bases through domestic policy and diplomatic exchange with the United States, in hopes of illuminating the logistical and political challenges within Canadian-American relations.