Developing a new weapon system in the United States today takes about 10 to 20 years. Some, such as the MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft and the Joint Strike Fighter have had extremely lengthy development times. But one of the most revolutionary and complex naval weapons of the Cold War had a development period of just over four years.

Fifty years ago the U.S. Navy embarked on a program to send the Jupiter ballistic missile to sea in merchant-type ships as a strategic deterrent. Some Navy studies were also addressing the feasibility of surfaced submarines launching missiles. But, on 15 November 1960, the USS George Washington (SSBN-598), the first U.S. nuclear-powered ballistic-missile submarine, went to sea on deterrent patrol with 16 Polaris missiles. This event occurred in record time.