(DoD) A sensitive program, approved in writing by a head of agency with original top secret classification authority, that imposes need-to-know and access controls beyond those normally provided for access to confidential, secret, or top secret information. The level of controls is based on the criticality of the program and the assessed hostile intelligence threat. The program may be an acquisition program, an intelligence program, or an operations and support program. Also called SAP.
Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms. 31 January 2011.
| APA | Military Dictionary (DoD). (2011). special access program. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/special_access_program/definitions/1964039 |
| Chicago | Military Dictionary (DoD). 2011. "special access program" http://smartdefine.org/special_access_program/definitions/1964039 (accessed September 20, 2026). |
| Harvard | Military Dictionary (DoD) 2011, special access program, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/special_access_program/definitions/1964039>. |
| MLA | Military Dictionary (DoD). "special access program" 4 April 2011. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/special_access_program/definitions/1964039> |