Does the U.S. Have a Dolphin Army Like Russia?

According to aerial pictures, Russia reportedly mobilized a battalion of dolphins to guard their Black Mediterranean military station.

Russia's Dolphin Army

In the official statement provided by the US Military Institute (USNI), they claimed that Russia erected two dolphin kennels near the entryway to the Sevastopol Gulf royal navy facility in February, during the time of the February 24 invasion of Ukraine.

The dolphins are claimed to protect Russia's largest and by far most significant military facility in the Black Sea.

The port of Sevastopol is located to the south of Crimea, something that Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014. Although the vessels stationed there are out of earshot of Ukrainian projectiles, they are particularly vulnerable to submerged strikes. As per the USNI, the dolphins are doing it to avoid this from occurring.

The sea creatures were most certainly taught to patrol the warships and conduct counter-diver activities, according to the Observatory. As stated in recent report from media site NewsWeek, dolphins were chosen for this purpose because they are among the finest advanced environmental ultrasonic systems recognized by experts.

This implies they are adept at spotting explosives and other potentially hazardous things on the bottom. Because technological ultrasonic devices are hardly equal for dolphins' innate sensitivities, they were used in combat activities over the ages.

Throughout 1959, the United States Navy has been grooming dolphins for strategic purposes.

Once the United States When the Naval Aquatic Mammal Operation was initially formed, many aquatic species such as dolphins, stingray, sharks, tortoises, as well as maritime fowl were evaluated to determine how useful they might be. The Military subsequently opted on two animals for the position: dolphins as well as California sea lions.

The US Navy's dolphins are utilized for the comparable goals as their Russian predecessors: to identify explosives as well as potentially dangerous things near coastlines, as per The Guardian. The dolphins are even taught to glide near navy ships as they move from one location to another.

For numerous periods, the U.S. The Navy's marine mammal program was secret, sparking considerable suspicions that the creatures were being utilized as destructive munitions. According to the show, these allegations are false.

Also read: Footage of Stunning New Species of Deep-Sea Jellyfish Captured in Monterey Bay Aquarium

U.S. and Russia: First to Start Dolphin Army Initiative

The United States and Russia were among the earliest to mobilize one such force accompanying their military forces, and various governments now have established identical initiatives. Russia's continues the strongest visible, attracting the most publicity.

According to the USNI, new satellite photographs weren't the only evidence that Russia is boosting its exploitation of strategic sea creatures. In current history, Russia has used sea creatures in various activities.

Furthermore, Forbes also issued an update regarding the topic and on the death of a dolphin taken by Russian soldiers following the invasion of Crimea four years ago that drew international awareness to Russia's dolphin operation in 2018.

According to a Ukrainian authority, the dolphins embarked on strike to protest following the seizure, denying nourishment from their Russian masters. The Russian military is likewise thought to deploy beluga whales in its missions. In 2019, rumors from Norway stated that one was reportedly discovered with a Russian leash and a GoPro equipment.

Related article: 7 Disturbing Facts That Reveal the Mean Side of Dolphins