The Glomar Explorer: Howard Hughes' Spy Ship

The Hughes Glomar Explorer is a deep-sea drillship platform initially built for the United States Central Intelligence Agency Special Activities Division secret operation Project Azorian to recover the sunken Soviet submarine K-129, lost in April 1968.

The Hughes Glomar Explorer was built between 1973 and 1974, by Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock Co. for more than $350 million at the direction of Howard Hughes for use by his company, Global Marine Development Inc.