Project Azorian: The CIA and the Raising of the K-129In early August 1974, despite incredible risks and after six years of secret preparations, the CIA attempted to salvage the sunken Soviet ballistic missile submarine K-129 from the depths of the North Pacific Ocean. The audacious effort was undertaken with the cover of an undersea mining operation sponsored by eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes. “Azorian”—incorrectly identified as Project Jennifer by the press—was the most ambitious ocean engineering endeavor attempted by man. Following the accidental sinking of a Soviet missile submarine in March 1968, U.S. intelligence agencies were able to determine the precise location and to develop a means of raising the submarine from a depth of 16,400 feet. The remarkable salvage effort of the K-129, which contained nuclear-armed torpedoes and one nuclear tipped missile as well as crypto equipment, was conducted with Soviet naval ships a few hundred yards from the lift ship, the Hughes Glomar Explorer. The book is based, in part, on the research for Michael White’ documentary film Azorian: The Raising of the K-129, released in late 2009. The research for the book and the documentary forced the CIA to issue a brief report on Project Azorian in early 2010, with one-third of the document redacted. |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 10
Page xi
... Trieste II on april 25, 1972. that object weighed several hundred pounds. and, prior to Project azorian, the deepest ... Trieste II recovery and the Squalus salvage effort were undertaken in the “open,” with the latter being reported in ...
... Trieste II on april 25, 1972. that object weighed several hundred pounds. and, prior to Project azorian, the deepest ... Trieste II recovery and the Squalus salvage effort were undertaken in the “open,” with the latter being reported in ...
Page xii
... Trieste II effort was not publicized, the necessity for surface sup- port by the floating dry dock White Sands and an ocean-going tug made it obvious that a deep recovery operation was under way. Project azorian was carried out under ...
... Trieste II effort was not publicized, the necessity for surface sup- port by the floating dry dock White Sands and an ocean-going tug made it obvious that a deep recovery operation was under way. Project azorian was carried out under ...
Page xvii
... Trieste II support ship White Sands Capt. John O'Connell, usN (ret), former assistant chief of staff for operations, plans, and intelligence for Commander, submarine Force Pacific Fleet David s. robarge, PhD, head of the CIa History ...
... Trieste II support ship White Sands Capt. John O'Connell, usN (ret), former assistant chief of staff for operations, plans, and intelligence for Commander, submarine Force Pacific Fleet David s. robarge, PhD, head of the CIa History ...
Page 49
... Trieste dove to the deepest location in the oceans, the Marianas trench, reaching a depth of 35,840 feet in 1960.1 subsequently, the Trieste was extensively modified and became known as the Trieste II. she had located the remains of the ...
... Trieste dove to the deepest location in the oceans, the Marianas trench, reaching a depth of 35,840 feet in 1960.1 subsequently, the Trieste was extensively modified and became known as the Trieste II. she had located the remains of the ...
Page 50
... Trieste II did recover several small items from the ocean floor , some of Soviet “ origin . ” On April 25 , 1972 , she lifted an item of several hundred pounds from a depth of 16,400 feet . ) While there were means available to possibly ...
... Trieste II did recover several small items from the ocean floor , some of Soviet “ origin . ” On April 25 , 1972 , she lifted an item of several hundred pounds from a depth of 16,400 feet . ) While there were means available to possibly ...
Contents
1 | |
4 | |
18 | |
31 | |
49 | |
The Plan | 61 |
Get Ready Get Set | 86 |
The Lift | 102 |
The Bounty | 122 |
Exposure and Revelation | 135 |
Conspiracies and Causes | 148 |
Failure and Frustration | 168 |
Other editions - View all
Project Azorian: The CIA and the Raising of the K-129 Norman Polmar,Michael White No preview available - 2010 |
Project Azorian: The CIA and the Raising of the K-129 Norman Polmar,Michael White No preview available - 2012 |
Common terms and phrases
acoustic aFtaC aircraft ballistic missile submarine barge Captain capture vehicle Chazhma Cold War commander Craven crew depth detected diesel-electric docking legs drill engineering event feet Global Marine Glomar Explorer’s Golf grabbers Halibut Hughes Glomar Explorer intelligence interview with Michael Kamchatka Kobzar later launch lift ship March Michael White mining missile tubes mission moon pool nautical miles Naval Institute Navy’s nuclear Oahu ocean floor Officer 2nd Class operation Pacific Fleet patrol Petropavlovsk Petty Officer 2nd pipe pipe-string Polmar pressure hull Project Azorian R-21 missile radio recovered recovery Regulus sail structure seafloor seaman 1947 russian senior seaman severodvinsk ship’s shipyard snorkel sonar SOSUS soviet Navy soviet ships soviet submarine ssBN subma submarine K-129 submarine's submerged summa Corporation surface ships Swordfish team leader thrusters tons torpedo Trieste U.S. naval U.S. Navy u.s. submarine USS Halibut vladivostok warhead weapons wreckage