Kamikaze dolphins in Iran? A brief history of dolphins in the military
A U.S. Navy-trained dolphin named Ten, seen above on April 12, 2007, discovered a torpedo from the 1800s in San Diego Bay.
Don Barletetti | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth rejected the idea that Iran could weaponize marine mammals in the Strait of Hormuz at a briefing on Tuesday, while fielding a question about the potential use of “kamikaze dolphins” in the war with Iran.
Experts say this idea is not as far-fetched as it seems. Many countries, including the United States, have a history of using dolphins in conflict zones, although not as weapons.
“I can’t confirm or deny whether we have kamikaze dolphins, but I can confirm that we don’t,” Hegseth said. briefingTerm used in World War II for Japanese pilots who deliberately flew their planes towards their targets.
Hegseth’s comments came in response to reports of this possibility. The Wall Street Journal reported On April 30, Iranian officials said Iran could use “mine-carrying dolphins” to attack US warships. It is unclear whether Iran has this capability.
The U.S. Navy Office of Information declined further comment, citing CNBC to Hegseth’s briefing on Tuesday.
The Strait of Hormuz has been largely closed during the war, and on Sunday President Donald Trump announced “Project Freedom,” an operation to free ships trapped in the strait since the beginning of the conflict. Hegseth described the new mission as “different and distinct from Operation Epic Rage,” the administration’s name for the war that the United States and Israel launched on Feb. 28. Hegseth said US forces did not need to enter Iranian waters or airspace to carry out the operation.
New attacks on the key waterway this week have reignited fears that the impact on the global economy will worsen. Although the ceasefire between the United States and Iran officially continues, Iran attacked the United Arab Emirates and the United States said it sank Iranian boats in the strait on Monday.
“The ceasefire is absolutely valid right now, but we will be watching very, very closely,” Hegseth said.
Dolphins have a long history of military use
US Marines with a dolphin trained to search for mines, Umm Qasr Port, Iraq.
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The U.S. Navy’s Marine Mammal Program has been training bottlenose dolphins and California sea lions since 1959. detecting mines and other underwater threatsdetection and recovery of objects at sea, conducting surveillance and locating objects at sea, according to the Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, a research and engineering laboratory of the U.S. Navy.
“Dolphins were used” [military] “Drills are being held all over the world,” he said. Scott Savitza senior engineer at a global policy think tank Rand Corporation and expert on mine countermeasures.
During the Vietnam War, the Navy trained dolphins to detect swimmers and divers trying to access military installations, Savitz said. Mammals also played a “key role” in detecting and clearing naval mines in the port of Umm Qasr during the Iraq War in 2003, he said.
Savitz said dolphins and sea lions are “exceptional” at detecting underwater objects. He said sea lions are widely used to locate and recover objects in “cluttered” waters due to their excellent underwater vision abilities, while dolphins use echolocation, or biosonar, to search for sea mines in open water.
K-Dog, a bottlenose dolphin, jumps out of the water in front of Sarge. Andrew Garrett during training near USS Gunston Hall in the Persian Gulf on March 18, 2003.
US Navy | Brien Aho | Reuters
Dolphin biosonar often more accurate More electronic sonar than Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific. “Not only can they locate objects, but they can also distinguish them with greater ease than the machines we have been able to develop for this purpose,” Savitz said.
The Soviet Navy also trained dolphins for defensive purposes during the Cold War, but after the collapse of the Soviet Union the unit was transferred to Ukraine. an NPR report Starting in 2022, citing an analysis from U.S. Naval Institute News. Russian military reportedly revives dolphin program Ukraine’s defensive dolphins were seized During the annexation of Crimea in 2014. Satellite images in 2022 two dolphin pens detected The analysis was found in the port of Sevastopol.
The ‘difficulty’ of dolphins’ military efforts
Experts say the use of dolphins in military operations raises complex questions not only about whether countries like Iran have trained marine animals, but also whether they have developed the expertise to work effectively with them.
“Learning how to best work with the capabilities of dolphins is a challenge for humans,” Savitz said.
He said the question “is not whether Iranians have physical animals that have received a certain amount of training, but whether Iranians have trained themselves to work with dolphins.”
Although there are some legal strategies based on international humanitarian law, there are few protections for animals in armed conflict, according to Chris Jenks, a law research professor at Southern Methodist University.
A representative of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals told CNBC the organization general location about military animals. The nonprofit said it “recognizes the value” of animals for military purposes but that “animals should not be put at unnecessary risk or sacrificed in the service of our country.”
According to the ASPCA’s website, “Military animals must be humanely trained and responsibly maintained, and commitment to animal welfare must extend beyond the duration of military service.”
Savitz said he has worked with the Navy’s Marine Mammal Program “on and off” for 25 years. “The dolphins and sea lions love the program,” he said.
“They exercise every day in open water,” he said. “They love free fish. They love playing with people. To them it’s a game, just like drug-sniffing dogs or explosives-sniffing dogs.”
Savitz said that to his knowledge, no marine mammals were harmed during a military operation. “They live healthy lives.”
