[Past Event] Project Azorian: Recovering a Soviet Submarine | Ryan Ranch

Course Description:

In 1968, the Soviet ballistic missile submarine K-129 went down with all hands approximately 1,600 miles northwest of Hawaii at a location that was unknown to the Soviets. However, using underwater surveillance technology, the U.S. Navy was able to determine where the submarine sank within about 6 miles. This enabled a covert recovery operation, Project Azorian, which was launched in 1974, using a remarkable ship built specifically for this task, the Glomar Explorer. Project Azorian was one of the most exciting, complex, secretive, expensive, and potentially rewarding intelligence gathering operations of the 20th century. There are three significant connections between Project Azorian and Monterey. This presentation will highlight these connections while reviewing the history of this incredible and extraordinarily dangerous episode of the Cold War.