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Original Artwork, CLICK for HIGH RESOLUTION: In the late 1950s the US Navy experimented with the concept of aircraft carrying submarines armed with jet fighters. Several submarines capable of carrying aircraft-sized cruise missiles had been built as a stop-gap and contingency to ballistic missile submarines: converted fleet boats USS Tunny and Barbero were fitted with external hangars on the aft deck for trials, each carrying two Regulus-I missiles. These were followed by two diesel-electric cruise missile submarines of the Grayback Class were put into service, each with four missiles, and one submarine of the Halibut Class with five missiles. If these boats could carry such large missiles, then the US Navy supposed that they could alternatively carry manned aircraft.