Project Azorian
Covert Submarine Recovery Operation
CLASSIFICATION: Cold Case
LOCATION
Pacific Ocean
TIME PERIOD
1974
VICTIMS
6 confirmed
In 1974, the CIA executed Project Azorian, a covert operation aimed at recovering the sunken Soviet submarine K-129, which had sunk in 1968 approximately 1,560 miles northwest of Hawaii. Utilizing the specially designed ship Hughes Glomar Explorer, the operation was conducted in international waters at depths of 16,500 feet. The project, which cost around $800 million, sought to retrieve valuable intelligence, including an intact R-21 nuclear missile and cryptological documents. Although the operation successfully recovered a portion of the submarine, a mechanical failure resulted in the loss of two-thirds of the retrieved section. The project remains one of the most complex intelligence operations of the Cold War, with significant implications for U.S.-Soviet relations.
Some believe that Project Azorian was not only a recovery mission but also a strategic move to gather intelligence on Soviet military capabilities, particularly concerning nuclear weapons. Others speculate that the operation's secrecy and high costs suggest there may have been additional undisclosed objectives, such as acquiring advanced Soviet technology or intelligence on their submarine operations. Additionally, there are theories that the recovery of the submarine was a cover for other covert activities or that it may have involved more extensive espionage efforts than publicly acknowledged.
The Covert Operation: Unveiling Project Azorian
In the shadowy world of espionage during the Cold War, few operations were as audacious as Project Azorian. This clandestine mission, undertaken by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in 1974, aimed to recover the sunken Soviet submarine K-129 from the depths of the Pacific Ocean. This endeavor, shrouded in secrecy and intrigue, utilized the specially designed ship, Hughes Glomar Explorer, to accomplish its mission.
The Sinking of K-129
The saga of K-129 began on February 24, 1968, when this Soviet Project 629A ballistic missile submarine left the Rybachiy Naval Base in Kamchatka. It was assigned a routine missile patrol, its third since undergoing significant modernization the previous year. As the submarine cruised out to deeper waters, it conducted a test dive and surfaced to communicate with its commanders, setting off on its patrol. However, K-129 failed to check in when it crossed the 180th meridian and upon reaching its station. By the third week of March, with no communication from the submarine, it was declared missing.
In April 1968, the Soviet Pacific Fleet launched an extensive search operation in the North Pacific Ocean. This unusual activity caught the attention of the United States Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI), which suspected the loss of a submarine. Despite the Soviets' efforts, including deploying surface ships in known patrol routes of their Golf II-class strategic ballistic missile submarines, the search yielded no results, and normal operations eventually resumed.
The American Discovery
The United States Navy, using the SOSUS hydrophone network, analyzed acoustic data and discovered evidence of an implosion that likely doomed the K-129. On March 8, 1968, the Naval Facility (NAVFAC) Point Sur in California isolated a sonic signature of an implosion. The data, corroborated by NAVFACs in Adak, Alaska, and the US West Coast, pinpointed the event's location near 40.1° N latitude and 179.9° E longitude, close to the International Date Line.
In July 1968, "Operation Sand Dollar" was initiated. The USS Halibut, equipped with deep submergence search equipment, was deployed from Pearl Harbor to locate and photograph the wreck. After three weeks of searching with robotic cameras, Halibut successfully located the wreckage, capturing over 20,000 detailed photographs. This operation earned Halibut a Presidential Unit Citation from President Lyndon B. Johnson.
The Genesis of Project Azorian
The photographs from Halibut revealed a promising lead: the nuclear missile in the submarine's #3 missile tube might still be intact. This discovery prompted Defense Secretary Melvin Laird and National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger to propose a daring plan to recover the wreckage. The goal was to study Soviet nuclear missile technology and possibly retrieve cryptographic materials. President Richard Nixon approved the plan, assigning the CIA to orchestrate the recovery.
Building Hughes Glomar Explorer
The mission required a vessel capable of such an unprecedented salvage operation. Global Marine Development Inc., known for pioneering deepwater offshore drilling, was contracted to design and construct the Hughes Glomar Explorer. The ship was built at the Sun Shipbuilding yard near Philadelphia. The reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes lent his name to the project, supporting the cover story that the ship was mining manganese nodules from the ocean floor—an intricate ruse, as Hughes and his companies had no involvement in the project.
The ship, a behemoth weighing 63,000 short tons and spanning 619 feet, was completed on November 1, 1972. Two preparatory missions with other vessels gathered site data and gauged Soviet reactions to research ships in the area.
The Recovery Mission
The Hughes Glomar Explorer set sail on June 20, 1974, departing from Long Beach, California, and arriving at the recovery site on July 4. The recovery utilized a large mechanical claw named "Clementine" to extract the submarine section. The operation required maintaining the ship's stability over a fixed point 16,000 feet below the ocean surface. The claw, attached to a string of pipes similar to those on oil rigs, lowered to grasp and lift the submarine into the ship's moon pool.
Despite meticulous planning, the operation faced challenges. Soviet Navy ships, including the tugboat SB-10 and the missile range instrumentation ship Chazma, monitored the site. Although the Soviets were alerted to a potential CIA operation, their inability to pinpoint K-129's location hindered any intervention.
Tragically, during the lift, Clementine suffered a catastrophic failure. Several claws fractured, causing two-thirds of the submarine section to sink back to the ocean floor. Some witnesses reported that only the 38-foot bow section was successfully recovered, leaving the sail portion with nuclear missiles lost.
What Was Recovered
Despite this setback, the mission was not in vain. The recovered section contained two nuclear torpedoes, and various materials of interest, including codebooks, were salvaged. The remains of six crewmen were found and given military honors before being buried at sea in a metal casket, a precaution against radioactivity.
Among the recovered items was the ship's bell, later returned to the Soviet Union as a diplomatic gesture. The CIA hailed the project as one of the Cold War's greatest intelligence coups, its details recorded by a CIA film crew. Although the film remains classified, a segment showing the burial at sea was given to Russia in 1992.
The Public Revelation
In March 1975, the veil of secrecy surrounding Project Azorian began to lift. Investigative journalist Jack Anderson broke the story through a radio broadcast. Despite CIA Director William Colby's pleas to suppress the information, Anderson proceeded, citing expert opinions that the submarine held no significant secrets.
The New York Times, initially convinced by the government to delay publication to avoid an international incident, followed suit in March after the Los Angeles Times released its account. The newspaper detailed the twists and turns leading to the story's eventual publication.
Legacy and Impact
Project Azorian remains a testament to the lengths nations will go to secure strategic advantages during times of geopolitical tension. The operation, while not entirely successful, provided valuable insights into Soviet technology and demonstrated the audacity and ingenuity of Cold War espionage.
Sources
For further details, please refer to the original article on Wikipedia.
No Recent News
No recent news articles found for this case. Check back later for updates.
No Evidence Submitted
No evidence found for this case. Be the first to submit evidence in the comments below.
Join the discussion
Loading comments...
K-129 Sinks
Soviet submarine K-129 sinks during a routine patrol.
Acoustic Event Detected
US Navy detects an implosion likely caused by K-129 sinking.
USS Halibut Locates Wreck
USS Halibut successfully locates the wreck of K-129 using remote cameras.
Recovery Plan Proposed
Defense Secretary and National Security Advisor propose a plan to recover K-129.
Glomar Explorer Construction Begins
Construction of the Hughes Glomar Explorer begins for the recovery operation.
Recovery Operation Starts
Hughes Glomar Explorer arrives at the recovery site to begin salvage operations.
Partial Recovery Achieved
A portion of K-129 is recovered, but a mechanical failure causes significant loss.
Project Azorian Exposed
The New York Times publishes details about Project Azorian, revealing its existence.
CIA Declassifies Article
CIA releases an article detailing Project Azorian under the Freedom of Information Act.
In 1974, the CIA executed Project Azorian, a covert operation aimed at recovering the sunken Soviet submarine K-129, which had sunk in 1968 approximately 1,560 miles northwest of Hawaii. Utilizing the specially designed ship Hughes Glomar Explorer, the operation was conducted in international waters at depths of 16,500 feet. The project, which cost around $800 million, sought to retrieve valuable intelligence, including an intact R-21 nuclear missile and cryptological documents. Although the operation successfully recovered a portion of the submarine, a mechanical failure resulted in the loss of two-thirds of the retrieved section. The project remains one of the most complex intelligence operations of the Cold War, with significant implications for U.S.-Soviet relations.
Some believe that Project Azorian was not only a recovery mission but also a strategic move to gather intelligence on Soviet military capabilities, particularly concerning nuclear weapons. Others speculate that the operation's secrecy and high costs suggest there may have been additional undisclosed objectives, such as acquiring advanced Soviet technology or intelligence on their submarine operations. Additionally, there are theories that the recovery of the submarine was a cover for other covert activities or that it may have involved more extensive espionage efforts than publicly acknowledged.
The Covert Operation: Unveiling Project Azorian
In the shadowy world of espionage during the Cold War, few operations were as audacious as Project Azorian. This clandestine mission, undertaken by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in 1974, aimed to recover the sunken Soviet submarine K-129 from the depths of the Pacific Ocean. This endeavor, shrouded in secrecy and intrigue, utilized the specially designed ship, Hughes Glomar Explorer, to accomplish its mission.
The Sinking of K-129
The saga of K-129 began on February 24, 1968, when this Soviet Project 629A ballistic missile submarine left the Rybachiy Naval Base in Kamchatka. It was assigned a routine missile patrol, its third since undergoing significant modernization the previous year. As the submarine cruised out to deeper waters, it conducted a test dive and surfaced to communicate with its commanders, setting off on its patrol. However, K-129 failed to check in when it crossed the 180th meridian and upon reaching its station. By the third week of March, with no communication from the submarine, it was declared missing.
In April 1968, the Soviet Pacific Fleet launched an extensive search operation in the North Pacific Ocean. This unusual activity caught the attention of the United States Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI), which suspected the loss of a submarine. Despite the Soviets' efforts, including deploying surface ships in known patrol routes of their Golf II-class strategic ballistic missile submarines, the search yielded no results, and normal operations eventually resumed.
The American Discovery
The United States Navy, using the SOSUS hydrophone network, analyzed acoustic data and discovered evidence of an implosion that likely doomed the K-129. On March 8, 1968, the Naval Facility (NAVFAC) Point Sur in California isolated a sonic signature of an implosion. The data, corroborated by NAVFACs in Adak, Alaska, and the US West Coast, pinpointed the event's location near 40.1° N latitude and 179.9° E longitude, close to the International Date Line.
In July 1968, "Operation Sand Dollar" was initiated. The USS Halibut, equipped with deep submergence search equipment, was deployed from Pearl Harbor to locate and photograph the wreck. After three weeks of searching with robotic cameras, Halibut successfully located the wreckage, capturing over 20,000 detailed photographs. This operation earned Halibut a Presidential Unit Citation from President Lyndon B. Johnson.
The Genesis of Project Azorian
The photographs from Halibut revealed a promising lead: the nuclear missile in the submarine's #3 missile tube might still be intact. This discovery prompted Defense Secretary Melvin Laird and National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger to propose a daring plan to recover the wreckage. The goal was to study Soviet nuclear missile technology and possibly retrieve cryptographic materials. President Richard Nixon approved the plan, assigning the CIA to orchestrate the recovery.
Building Hughes Glomar Explorer
The mission required a vessel capable of such an unprecedented salvage operation. Global Marine Development Inc., known for pioneering deepwater offshore drilling, was contracted to design and construct the Hughes Glomar Explorer. The ship was built at the Sun Shipbuilding yard near Philadelphia. The reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes lent his name to the project, supporting the cover story that the ship was mining manganese nodules from the ocean floor—an intricate ruse, as Hughes and his companies had no involvement in the project.
The ship, a behemoth weighing 63,000 short tons and spanning 619 feet, was completed on November 1, 1972. Two preparatory missions with other vessels gathered site data and gauged Soviet reactions to research ships in the area.
The Recovery Mission
The Hughes Glomar Explorer set sail on June 20, 1974, departing from Long Beach, California, and arriving at the recovery site on July 4. The recovery utilized a large mechanical claw named "Clementine" to extract the submarine section. The operation required maintaining the ship's stability over a fixed point 16,000 feet below the ocean surface. The claw, attached to a string of pipes similar to those on oil rigs, lowered to grasp and lift the submarine into the ship's moon pool.
Despite meticulous planning, the operation faced challenges. Soviet Navy ships, including the tugboat SB-10 and the missile range instrumentation ship Chazma, monitored the site. Although the Soviets were alerted to a potential CIA operation, their inability to pinpoint K-129's location hindered any intervention.
Tragically, during the lift, Clementine suffered a catastrophic failure. Several claws fractured, causing two-thirds of the submarine section to sink back to the ocean floor. Some witnesses reported that only the 38-foot bow section was successfully recovered, leaving the sail portion with nuclear missiles lost.
What Was Recovered
Despite this setback, the mission was not in vain. The recovered section contained two nuclear torpedoes, and various materials of interest, including codebooks, were salvaged. The remains of six crewmen were found and given military honors before being buried at sea in a metal casket, a precaution against radioactivity.
Among the recovered items was the ship's bell, later returned to the Soviet Union as a diplomatic gesture. The CIA hailed the project as one of the Cold War's greatest intelligence coups, its details recorded by a CIA film crew. Although the film remains classified, a segment showing the burial at sea was given to Russia in 1992.
The Public Revelation
In March 1975, the veil of secrecy surrounding Project Azorian began to lift. Investigative journalist Jack Anderson broke the story through a radio broadcast. Despite CIA Director William Colby's pleas to suppress the information, Anderson proceeded, citing expert opinions that the submarine held no significant secrets.
The New York Times, initially convinced by the government to delay publication to avoid an international incident, followed suit in March after the Los Angeles Times released its account. The newspaper detailed the twists and turns leading to the story's eventual publication.
Legacy and Impact
Project Azorian remains a testament to the lengths nations will go to secure strategic advantages during times of geopolitical tension. The operation, while not entirely successful, provided valuable insights into Soviet technology and demonstrated the audacity and ingenuity of Cold War espionage.
Sources
For further details, please refer to the original article on Wikipedia.
No Recent News
No recent news articles found for this case. Check back later for updates.
No Evidence Submitted
No evidence found for this case. Be the first to submit evidence in the comments below.
Join the discussion
Loading comments...
K-129 Sinks
Soviet submarine K-129 sinks during a routine patrol.
Acoustic Event Detected
US Navy detects an implosion likely caused by K-129 sinking.
USS Halibut Locates Wreck
USS Halibut successfully locates the wreck of K-129 using remote cameras.
Recovery Plan Proposed
Defense Secretary and National Security Advisor propose a plan to recover K-129.
Glomar Explorer Construction Begins
Construction of the Hughes Glomar Explorer begins for the recovery operation.
Recovery Operation Starts
Hughes Glomar Explorer arrives at the recovery site to begin salvage operations.
Partial Recovery Achieved
A portion of K-129 is recovered, but a mechanical failure causes significant loss.
Project Azorian Exposed
The New York Times publishes details about Project Azorian, revealing its existence.
CIA Declassifies Article
CIA releases an article detailing Project Azorian under the Freedom of Information Act.