The CIA Tried to Raise a Soviet Submarine From 3 Miles Down

In 1974, the CIA launched one of the most ambitious secret operations of the Cold War: an attempt to recover a Soviet nuclear-armed submarine from more than three miles beneath the Pacific Ocean. The submarine, K-129, had disappeared in 1968, carrying ballistic missiles and potentially valuable military intelligence. To reach it, the United States built the extraordinary Hughes Glomar Explorer, disguising the operation as a civilian deep-sea mining expedition. Project Azorian required years of secret engineering, enormous financial resources, and a recovery system unlike anything previously attempted. While Soviet vessels monitored the area, the CIA tried to lift the wreck from approximately 16,500 feet below the surface. But the operation faced a critical engineering challenge that threatened everything. How much of the submarine could actually be recovered, and what did American intelligence ultimately gain? The Chronicle Room documents real historical events through careful research and cinematic storytelling. If this approach to history interests you, subscribe for more stories. Visual material in this video was created with AI to support historical reconstruction. It is used to help visualize the period and is not presented as authentic archival footage. Sources: https://www.cia.gov/legacy/museum/exh... https://www.cia.gov/stories/story/the... https://history.state.gov/historicald... https://history.state.gov/historicald... https://history.state.gov/historicald... https://history.state.gov/historicald... #ProjectAzorian #CIA #ColdWar #K129 #GlomarExplorer #SovietSubmarine #EspionageHistory #NavalHistory #HistoryDocumentary #TheChronicleRoom