FILE 009 // PUBLIC RECORD
Project AZORIAN
A covert CIA engineering effort using the Hughes Glomar Explorer to recover material from Soviet submarine K-129, which had sunk in deep Pacific waters.
DOCUMENTATION CONFIDENCE
HighMultiple official or primary archival sources consistently establish the core dates, organizations, events, and outcomes summarized in this file.
CASE OVERVIEW
Project AZORIAN: What the public record documents
The CIA built a giant ship under the cover of deep-sea mining to lift a Soviet submarine from three miles underwater.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The public record identifies Project AZORIAN as a recovery operation matter associated with CIA during 1968–1974. A covert CIA engineering effort using the Hughes Glomar Explorer to recover material from Soviet submarine K-129, which had sunk in deep Pacific waters.
The CIA built a giant ship under the cover of deep-sea mining to lift a Soviet submarine from three miles underwater.
A covert CIA engineering effort using the Hughes Glomar Explorer to recover material from Soviet submarine K-129, which had sunk in deep Pacific waters.
The linked source set contains 2 official or primary archival records. Together, these materials establish the responsible organizations, the relevant time period, the reported location, and the official findings or historical conclusions summarized in this file.
Where the underlying records contain allegations, witness statements, preliminary leads, or unresolved observations, this archive identifies them as claims or unresolved material rather than established fact. The appearance of a statement in a government file does not by itself prove that the statement is accurate.
KEY FINDINGS
Documented time period: 1968–1974.
Primary organizations or record holders: CIA.
Principal location: North Pacific Ocean.
Archive topic: Recovery Operation.
DOCUMENT ANALYSIS
CIA Museum — Project AZORIAN
Official archival or primary-source recordProvides released CIA records or official historical material describing the operation, program, or agency assessment.
OPEN DOCUMENT ↗CIA — The Exposing of Project AZORIAN
Official archival or primary-source recordProvides released CIA records or official historical material describing the operation, program, or agency assessment.
OPEN DOCUMENT ↗SOURCE DOCUMENTS
CIA Museum — Project AZORIANOfficial or primary archival source used to document this file.OPEN SOURCE ↗CIA — The Exposing of Project AZORIANOfficial or primary archival source used to document this file.OPEN SOURCE ↗