Development of Typhon was initiated in the late 1950s, as the existing Talos, Terrier, and Tartar ("3 Ts") long-, medium-, and short-ranged missiles were considered to be approaching obsolescence;[2] in the event of a mass attack by Soviet bomber forces, the requirement for each missile to have its own dedicated target illuminator would lead to rapid saturation of the defensive system.

The Typhon system, developed under a contract awarded to the Bendix Corporation, would overcome this through the use of the AN/SPG-59 electronically scanned array radar system, capable of tracking and engaging multiple targets simultaneously.

[3] The missile system to complement the radar was originally named Super Talos (long-range) and Super Tartar (short-range), but to avoid confusion with upgrades for the existing missiles was soon renamed Typhon.

[6] However, the expense of the Typhon system, combined with the technical issues encountered during development, led to the program being cancelled in November 1963.

The conversion of Norton Sound was allowed to be completed to provide test data,[7] with the ship recommissioning in June 1964; following the tests, the Typhon equipment was removed in July 1966.