"Jennifer" was the code name for the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) project to recover the sunken Soviet submarine K-129, one of the Soviet Union's strategic ballistic missile submarines, from the Pacific Ocean floor in the summer of 1974, using the purpose-built ship Glomar Explorer. The 1968 sinking of the K-129 occurred north and west of Hawaii, at a location still (2007) held highly classified by U.S. intelligence agencies. Project Jennifer was one of the most complex, expensive and secretive intelligence operations of the Cold War. A code name or cryptonym is a word or name used clandestinely to refer to another name or word. ... CIA redirects here. ... K-129 was a Project 629A (NATO reporting name Golf-II) diesel-electric powered submarine of the Soviet Pacific Fleet, one of six Project 629 strategic ballistic missile submarines attached to the 15th Submarine Squadron based at Rybachiy Naval Base, Kamchatka, commanded by Rear Admiral Rudolf A. Golosov. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... USNS Glomar Explorer (T-AG-193) is a large ship currently being used as a deep-sea drilling platform. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... A typical classified document. ... For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ...

The Target - K-129 Wreck

In April 1968, Soviet Pacific Fleet surface and air assets were observed conducting a surge deployment and involved in unusual operations in the North Pacific, which were evaluated by U.S. Navy Intelligence as possibly reactions to the loss of a Soviet submarine. Soviet surface ship searches were centered on a location associated with Soviet strategic ballistic missile diesel submarines. The American SOSUS (Sea Spider) hydrophone network in the northern Pacific was tasked with reviewing its recordings in the hopes of detecting an implosion (or explosion) related to such a loss. NavFac Point Sur, south of Monterey California, was able to isolate a sonic signature on its LOFAR recordings of an implosion event which had occurred on March 8th 1968 (for which they received a Meritorious Unit Commendation in 1969). Using NavFac Pt. Sur's date and time of the event, NavFac Adak and the U.S. west coast NavFacs were also able to isolate the acoustic event. With five SOSUS lines-of-bearing, Navy Intelligence was able to localize the site of the K-129 wreck as the vicinity of 40N-180W/E.[1]
SOSUS, an acronym for SOund SUrveillance System, is a chain of underwater listening posts located across the northern Atlantic Ocean near Greenland, Iceland and the United Kingdom—the so-called GIUK gap. ... A hydrophone is a sound-to-electricity transducer for use in water or other liquids, analogous to a microphone for air. ...

After weeks of search the Soviets were unable to locate their sunken boat, and Soviet Pacific Fleet operations gradually returned to a normal level. In July 1968, the U.S. Navy initiated "Operation Sand Dollar" with the deployment of USS Halibut (SSN-587) from Pearl Harbor to the wreck site. Sand Dollar's objective was to find and photograph the K-129. In 1965, USS Halibut had been configured to use deep submergence search equipment, the only such specially-equipped submarine then in U.S. inventory. Despite a SOSUS-provided locus containing over 1200 square miles of search area, and a wreck located over 3 miles in depth, Halibut almost miraculously located the wreck after only three weeks of at-depth visual search utilizing robotic remote-controlled cameras. (Compare this to almost 5 months of open and unrestricted search required to locate the wreck of USS Scorpion (SSN-589) in the Atlantic, also in 1968). Halibut is reported as having spent the next several weeks taking over 20,000 closeup photos of every aspect of the K-129 wreck, a feat for which Halibut received a special classified Presidential Unit Citation signed by Lyndon Johnson in 1968.
USS Halibut (SSGN/SSN-587), a unique guided missile submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the halibut, a large species of flatfish found on both sides of the Atlantic. ... USS Scorpion (SSN-589) was the sixth ship of the United States Navy to be named for the scorpion, (hence the Scorpius constellation on her insignia). ... Lyndon Baines Johnson (August 27, 1908–January 22, 1973), often referred to as LBJ, was an American politician. ...

In 1970, based upon this photography, Defense Secretary Melvin Laird and Henry Kissinger, then National Security Advisor, proposed a clandestine plan to recover the wreckage so that the U.S. could study Soviet nuclear missile technology, as well as possibly recover cryptographic materials. The proposal was accepted by President Nixon and the CIA was tasked to attempt the recovery. Henry Alfred Kissinger (born Heinz Alfred Kissinger on May 27, 1923) is a German-born American politician, and 1973 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. ... The Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, commonly referred to as the National Security Advisor, serves as the chief advisor to the President of the United States on national security issues. ... For other uses of terms redirecting here, see US (disambiguation), USA (disambiguation), and United States (disambiguation) Motto In God We Trust(since 1956) (From Many, One; Latin, traditional) Anthem The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City National language English (de facto)1 Demonym American... The German Lorenz cipher machine, used in World War II for encryption of very high-level general staff messages Cryptography (or cryptology; derived from Greek κρυπτός kryptós hidden, and the verb γράφω gráfo write or λεγειν legein to speak) is the study of message secrecy. ...

Building the Glomar Explorer, and its cover story

Billionaire businessman Howard Hughes—whose companies were already contractors on numerous classified US military weapons, aircraft and satellite contracts—was secretly contracted by the CIA to design and build a massive special-purpose ship that would be used to salvage the sunken Soviet submarine from the ocean floor. The K-129 was photographed at a depth of over 16,000 feet, and thus the salvage operation would be well beyond the depth of any ship salvage operation ever before attempted. On November 1, 1972, work began on the 63,000 ton (57,152,639 kg), 619-foot (189 m) long Hughes Glomar Explorer (HGE). To hide the true mission of the ship, a cover story was concocted, asserting that the Hughes Glomar Explorer was being constructed for the Summa Corporation to mine for underwater manganese nodules. For the Welsh murderer, see Howard Hughes (murderer). ... The armed forces of the United States of America consist of the United States Army United States Navy United States Air Force United States Marine Corps United States Coast Guard Note: The United States Coast Guard has both military and law enforcement functions. ... For other uses, see Ship (disambiguation). ... is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Kg redirects here. ... This article is about the unit of length. ... USNS Glomar Explorer (T-AG-193) is a large ship currently being used as a deep-sea drilling platform. ... Cover story can refer to a story in a magazine whose subject matter is depicted on its cover a cover-up This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ... Summa Corporation was the name adopted for the business interests of Howard Hughes after he sold the tool division of Hughes Tool Company in 1972. ... Polymetallic nodules, also called manganese nodules, are rock concretions on the sea bottom formed of concentric layers of iron and manganese hydroxides around a core. ...

Recovery

The Hughes Glomar Explorer "HGE" employed a large mechanical claw, which Lockheed officially titled the "Capture Vehicle" (CV) but affectionately called Clementine, that was designed to be lowered down to the ocean floor, grasp around the targeted submarine section, and then lift that section up through 16,500 feet of water. One benefit of this technology was the ability to keep a floating base stable and in position over a fixed point 16,000 feet below the ocean surface. It worked by attaching steel piping together in a manner similar to oil drilling rigs, and lowering the claw through a hole in the middle of the ship, 60-foot section of pipe by 60-foot section. This configuration was designed by Western Gear Corp. of Everett, Washington. Upon a successful capture by the claw, the lift reversed the process -- 60-foot sections drawn up and removed one at a time. "The K-129 had broken into two major pieces, probably on impact since the sections were so close together. The forward section was approximately 136 feet in length and designated the Target Object (TO). The CV was configured to only recover the TO in its specific attitude on the ocean floor. There was no intention to make more than one round trip, nor would it have been possible due to the strain on the heavy lift system and its frequent breakdown."[2] The salvaged "Target Object" was thus to be drawn into a huge compartment in the middle of the ship, called the Moon Pool by its crew, and the outer doors of the Moon Pool closed to form a floor for the salvaged section. This allowed for the entire salvage process to take place underwater, away from the view of other ships, aircraft, or spy satellites. County Snohomish Government  - Mayor Ray Stephanson Area  - City 123. ...

Sailing from Long Beach, California on June 19, 1974, Hughes Glomar Explorer arrived at the recovery site July 4 and conducted salvage operations for over a month. During this period, at least two Soviet intelligence-gathering ships visited the Glomar Explorer's worksite, the ocean going tug "SB-10", and the Soviet Missile Range Instrumentation Ship (SMRIS) "Chazma". Published reports indicate that during operations on August 12, 1974, "Clementine" suffered a catastrophic failure when the Target Object was over half way up to the surface, causing the already damaged section to split in half, with all but the forward 38 feet or so of the bow section sinking back to the ocean floor. According to a Lockheed engineer on site, the recovered section did not contain nuclear missiles nor the cryptographic equipment or codebooks that would have been of such extraordinary value for U.S. military intelligence.[3] Thus many have characterized Project Jennifer as an intelligence failure. However, the recovered section did include two nuclear torpedoes, and thus Project Jennifer should be termed disappointing but not a total failure.^{[weasel words]} The bodies of six crewmen were also recovered, and were subsequently given a memorial service and buried at sea with military honors. is the 185th day of the year (186th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 224th day of the year (225th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses of terms redirecting here, see US (disambiguation), USA (disambiguation), and United States (disambiguation) Motto In God We Trust(since 1956) (From Many, One; Latin, traditional) Anthem The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City National language English (de facto)1 Demonym American...

While a disappointing intelligence operation, Project Jennifer remains a technological milestone, as the deepest salvage operation ever conducted.

Public disclosure

The New York Times suppresses its story

In early 1974, investigative reporter and former Timesman Seymour Hersh had planned to publish a story on Project Jennifer. Bill Kovach, the New York Times Washington bureau chief at the time, said in 2005 that the government offered a convincing argument to delay publication in early 1974—exposure at that time, while the project was ongoing, "would have caused an international incident." The Times eventually published its account in 1975, after a story appeared in the Los Angeles Times, and included a five-paragraph explanation of the many twists and turns in the path to publication.^[1] It is unclear what, if any, action was taken by the Soviet Union after learning of the story. Seymour Myron Sy Hersh (born April 8, 1937 Chicago) is an American Pulitzer Prize winning investigative journalist and author based in Washington, DC. He is a regular contributor to The New Yorker magazine on military and security matters. ... The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ...

Burglary and press reports

On June 5, 1974, Howard Hughes' headquarters in Los Angeles was burgled, and secret documents about the operation were taken. Ten days prior to that time Special Assistant AUSA William Turner had subpoenaed these documents located at 7040 Romaine Street for a Federal Grand Jury in Nevada conducting an investigation of Hughes and his takeover of airWest Airlines and possible connections between that and the Watergate break-in. Turner, with assistance from the Los Angeles Police Department and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, conducted an investigation with the Assistant DA in Los Angeles Michael Brenner and found links to organized crime but also to certain safe houses in Vancouver, Canada, where several of the burglars went. is the 156th day of the year (157th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... The Watergate first break-in on May 28, 1972 has been cited in testimony, media accounts, and popular works on Watergate as the pivotal event that led ultimately to the Watergate Scandal. ... LAPD and L.A.P.D. redirect here. ... RCMP redirects here. ... Organized crime or criminal organizations are groups or operations run by criminals, most commonly for the purpose of generating a monetary profit. ... For other uses, see Vancouver (disambiguation). ...

One of the individuals traced to the burglary appeared to have radiation poisoning and was linked to a Special British Forces Underwater Demolition World War II Association through a checking account. The actual documents were never recovered, though some have claimed to have seen them. There is speculation that the theft of the documents was part of a cover-up related to political corruption at all levels as documented by Hughes over a period of 40 years. Howard Hughes kept a written copy of all his actions and directions, including detailed records of his dealings with political figures and government agencies. These papers would become the foundation of the story on Project Jennifer in the Los Angeles Times on February 7, 1975. After it appeared, the CIA attempted to convince news media not to publish further stories on the project. But by March 1975, numerous news stories had linked the Hughes Glomar Explorer, a ship publicly listed as a research vessel owned and operated by Summa Corporation, to the secret U.S. government operation. This just IN !!!:paris hiltons new dog. ... is the 38th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

FOIA and the Glomar response

After stories had been published about the CIA's attempts to stop publication of information about Project Jennifer, Harriet Ann Phillippi, a journalist, filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the CIA for any records about the CIA’s attempts. The CIA refused to either confirm or deny the existence of such documents.^[2] This type of evasive reply has since come to be known as the "Glomar response" or "Glomarization." Nearly sixty countries around the world have implemented some form of freedom of information legislation, which sets rules on governmental secrecy. ... In United States law, the term Glomar response refers to a neither confirm nor deny response by agents of national security to Freedom of Information Act requests. ...

2003 release of video

A video showing the 1974 memorial services for the six Soviet seamen whose bodies were recovered by Project Jennifer was forwarded by the U.S. to Russia in the early 1990s. In 2003, portions of this video were shown on television documentaries concerning Project Jennifer, including a Cold War submarine episode of NOVA.^[3] Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... For the band, see 1990s (band). ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nova is a popular science television series from the USA produced by WGBH and can be seen on PBS and in more than 100 countries. ...

Conspiracy theory

Kenneth Sewell, in Red Star Rogue (2005), offers additional theories and speculation. The book makes the case that K-129 was hijacked by an 11-man special forces team placed aboard and directed by a cabal of KGB hardliners, that the submarine was successfully commandeered, and that the KGB team actually attempted to launch a nuclear missile targeted against Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. It is this book's thesis that the attack was designed in a manner to implicate the Chinese and pointing away from any Soviet involvement. The entire purported conspiracy was supposedly an effort to provoke a nuclear confrontation between China and the United States. The author's hypothesis is that the missile's fail-safe devices were inadequately circumvented, and an explosion resulted which sank the submarine. Red Star Rogue has been criticized as conspiracy theory with little or no supporting evidence.^[4] This book also claims that Project Jennifer was almost a total success and recovered all of its targeted material, including a nuclear missile warhead and cryptographic equipment and codebooks. This article is about the KGB of the Soviet Union. ... For other uses, see Conspiracy theory (disambiguation). ...

References

The CIA Seal The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is an American intelligence agency, responsible for obtaining and analyzing information about foreign governments, corporations, and individuals, and reporting such information to the various branches of the U.S. Government. ...

Bibliography

• Craven, John (2001). "The Hunt for Red September: A Tale of Two Submarines", The Silent War: The Cold War Battle Beneath the Sea. New York: Simon & Schuster, 198-222. ISBN 0-684-87213-7. 
• Sontag, Sherry (1998). Blind Man's Bluff: The Untold Story of American Submarine Espionage. Harper. ISBN 0-06-103004-X. 
• Sewell, Kenneth (2005). Red Star Rogue: The untold story of a Soviet submarine's nuclear strike attempt on the U.S.. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-7432-6112-7. 

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External links

• Project Jennifer and the Hughes Glomar Explorer
• Extensive bibliography
• Site with several rare pictures of 'Clementine'
• Personal account by a Lockheed Engineer of the K-129 salvage effort while aboard Glomar Explorer