WAR: Dolphins Valuable to U.S. in Arabian Gulf

The U.S. Navy has a new sentinel to help guard ships and ports in the Persian Gulf. Dolphins have been used in the region since 2003 to detect and locate potential underwater threats to ships. This is not the first time that dolphins have been deployed, but this marks their longest to date. The Navy began researching dolphins back in the 60's and even used them in the Vietnam war.




This is quite interesting. The dolphins do not attack the simply mark the intruder for a Nave SEAL to deal with. The training regime must be pretty rigorous. The animal rights community no doubt is up in arms, but animals have been used in combat since the dawn of warfare. From Hanibals elephants to attack dogs, to the calvary.

[edit on 11/19/04 by FredT]

[edit on 11/19/04 by FredT]

I guess a dogs a ground troops best friend and a dolphins a navy troops best friend

Originally posted by FredT
This is quite interesting. The dolphins do not attack the simply mark the intruder for a Nave SEAL to deal with. The training regime must be pretty rigorous. The animal rights community no doubt is up in arms, but animals have been used in combat since the dawn of warfare. From Hanibals elephants to attack dogs, to the calvary.

A couple of more examples come to mind - siamese cats that guarded the pharoahs, and peacocks used as noisy intruder-detectors.

I wnder how the dolphins actually "mark" the intruder. Simply a term for keeping track of them?

The dolphins are also used to kill frogmen / swimming sappers. One method is the dolphin just beats the crap out of the person. The other is it uses a device fitted to its beak to impale the person. After impalement, the device detaches from the dolphin's beak, and while still in the person inflates, bringing the body to the surface.

Originally posted by taibunsuu
The dolphins are also used to kill frogmen / swimming sappers. One method is the dolphin just beats the crap out of the person. The other is it uses a device fitted to its beak to impale the person. After impalement, the device detaches from the dolphin's beak, and while still in the person inflates, bringing the body to the surface.

I've never heard of such a device, I have heard however of a cone shaped device that is fitted with a single projectile (a bullet) dolphin swims up and hits the frogman with the cone triggers the device "pow" dead frogman.
It's called MK6. My SO's son is in EOD/Seal's and has trained with them. He stated that the males can get quite aggressive if they are "in the mood"

usmilitary.about.com...


He sent us these really cool T-Shirts that get a lot of comments when I wear it. Please forgive the image I did it in a hurry

If you want to know more about the dolphins, sea lions etc. in Navy check this thread :

www.abovetopsecret.com...