This U.S. Navy documentary made in the 1960s shows the service’s submarine fleet, including conventional boats and the nuclear powered Polaris fleet ballistic missile submarines aka FBM Fleet Ballistic Missile boats. Engineering work on the system is seen at the 3:20 mark, at the Bureau of Ships. Inertial navigation gyroscopes are seen, for self-sustained guidance. Polaris launch tests are seen at the 6:15 mark with “Operation Peashooter” proving that missiles could be safely ejected from tubes at sea. Underwater tests are seen at “Operation Pop-up” at 6:40. Work on Polaris’ engines and fuel is seen at the 8:00 mark, with solid fuels developed for the system — a major breakthrough at the time. At 8:40, tests are seen at Cape Canaveral on the AX-series prototype birds. A test launch from a ship USNS Observation Island is seen at 11:02, and at 11:45 the launch of the USS George Washington, the first SSBN, is seen as well as the USS Theodore Roosevelt at the 13 minute mark.

The SS-416, the Balao class submarine USS Tiru, is seen at the 1:20 mark. The USS Skate is seen surfacing at the pole at the 4:50 mark, and the USS Tunny is seen launching a Regulus missile at 5 minutes.

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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD and 2k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com