USS Halibut was the first nuclear submarine to carry the U.S. Navy’s Regulus cruise missile.
Halibut was launched in 1957 and commissioned in 1960. It was designed as a guided-missile submarine and could carry Regulus missiles in a hangar-like structure behind its sail. Regulus was a turbojet-powered, nuclear-capable cruise missile launched from the surface of a submarine.
The boat represented an intermediate stage in naval nuclear deterrence. Regulus patrols preceded the Polaris ballistic-missile system, whose missiles could be launched while submerged. Halibut later underwent conversion and served as a highly specialized submarine for intelligence and special operations missions.
The submarine is sometimes confused with USS George Washington, which was the first U.S. ballistic-missile submarine. George Washington carried Polaris missiles, whereas Halibut initially carried the earlier Regulus cruise missile.