Overview
Project Azorian was one of the most ambitious and expensive intelligence operations of the Cold War. Following the 1968 sinking of the Soviet Golf II-class submarine K-129 in the Pacific Ocean, the CIA embarked on a six-year mission to recover the vessel to obtain Soviet codebooks and nuclear technology.
The Glomar Explorer and Howard Hughes
To maintain secrecy, the CIA created an elaborate "cover story" involving billionaire recluse Howard Hughes. The public was told that Hughes was building a massive ship, the Hughes Glomar Explorer, for a pioneering commercial venture to mine manganese nodules from the deep ocean floor. This allowed the CIA to build a specialized recovery ship without raising Soviet suspicion.
The Recovery and Legacy
In July 1974, the recovery attempt took place. While the "claw" mechanism failed and the submarine broke apart—meaning only a portion was recovered—the mission remains a masterpiece of engineering and deception. The phrase "I can neither confirm nor deny," now known as the "Glomar response," originated from this project when journalists began asking questions about the ship's true purpose.