Editing Howard Hughes (section)

==''Glomar Explorer'' and the taking of ''K-129''==
{{Main|USNS Glomar Explorer (T-AG-193)}}

In 1972, during the [[Cold War|Cold War era]], Hughes was approached by the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] through his longtime partner, David Charnay, to help secretly recover the Soviet [[submarine]] ''[[Soviet submarine K-129 (1960)|K-129]]'', which had sunk near Hawaii four years earlier.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu//nukevault/ebb305/doc01.pdf |title=C05301269 |publisher=[[George Washington University|GWU Freedom of Information Act Research]]|access-date=November 3, 2017}}</ref> Hughes' involvement provided the CIA with a plausible cover story, conducting expensive civilian marine research at extreme depths and the mining of undersea [[manganese nodule]]s. The recovery plan used the special-purpose salvage vessel ''[[Glomar Explorer]]''. In the summer of 1974, ''Glomar Explorer'' attempted to raise the Soviet vessel.<ref name="The Taking of K-129">{{cite book |url= https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/534584/the-taking-of-k-129-by-josh-dean/9781101984437/ |author=Josh Dean |title= The Taking of K-129: How the CIA Used Howard Hughes to Steal a Russian Sub in the Most Daring Covert Operation in History |publisher=Penguin Books |year=2017 |page=50 |isbn= 978-0525501534}}</ref><ref>Burleson 1997, p. 33.</ref> However, during the recovery, a mechanical failure in the ship's [[Grapple (tool)|grapple]] caused half of the submarine to break off and fall to the ocean floor. This section is believed to have held many of the most sought-after items, including its code book and nuclear missiles. Two nuclear-tipped torpedoes and some cryptographic machines were recovered, along with the bodies of six Soviet submariners who were subsequently given formal burial at sea in a filmed ceremony. The operation, known as [[Project Azorian]] (but incorrectly referred to by the press as Project Jennifer), became public in February 1975 after secret documents, obtained by burglars of Hughes' headquarters in June 1974, were released.<ref>Burleson 1997, pp. 157–158.</ref> Although he lent his name and his company's resources to the operation, Hughes and his companies had no operational involvement in the project. The ''Glomar Explorer'' was eventually acquired by [[Transocean]], and was sent to the scrap yard in 2015 during a large decline in oil prices.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kitsapsun.com/story/news/local/2017/10/26/u-s-snatched-up-russian-sub/782204001/ |title=Using Howard Hughes as cover, the U.S. snatched up a Russian sub |publisher=[[Kitsap Sun|Kitsap Sun NewsPaper Online]]|access-date=November 3, 2017}}</ref>