Spoof Ad: Military Use of Dolphins

Military Use of Dolphins: Log #5

Welch, Craig. “Smart And Fast, Marine Mammals Are Guarding Our Military Bases.” The Seattle Times, August 30 (2010). Web. 17 Oct. 2011. <http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/pacificnw/2012662209_pacificpdolphins29.html>.

Summary:

In the article “Smart And Fast, Marine Mammals Are Guarding Our Military Bases” by Craig Welch, the author explains how the United States Navy has trained 80 bottlenose dolphins and 30 California sea lions to patrol the San Diego Bay from al-Qaida or any other invader trying to infiltrate the Trident Submarine Base at Bangor.  However, the current issue is whether or not these military mammals are the proper way to end this underwater terrorism.  The U.S. Navy believes that these dolphins and sea lions are the answer to ending or at least preventing enemy violence in the ocean.  Dolphins are able to track objects through water by using their echolocation, which is much more advanced than even the militaries most sophisticated technology.  These mammals are also able to stay under water much longer than any human diver can, even if equipped with an air tank.  Nevertheless, there are those who think that the Navy is over-training these intelligent mammals to the point where they are suffering.  However, marine-mammal scientists assert that the Navy offers outstanding care with their animals to keep them as healthy and ready for combat as possible.  So what exactly is there to argue about?

Response:

In the 1960’s, dolphins were used for all sorts of military purposes.  Originally, they were testing the hydrodynamic properties of dolphin skin to determine if it was possible to develop more advanced torpedoes.  Since then, they have been used in various missions to deliver mail to underwater troops, patrol ally swimmers carrying explosives, detect bombs, mines, and terrorist divers, and much more.  According to Navy spokesman Tom LaPuzza, the attacks on ships resumed when the dolphins were removed from the program.  He also claims that there were no attacks recorded while the mammals were present and patrolling the area.  Is there a strong correlation between the dolphins guarding the area and less invasions taking place?  That is the question being highly debated amongst the Navy, and critics of their mammal methods.  The U.S. Navy’s intent is to save lives, be efficient, and protect our country from dangerous threats.  As far as we know, they have been rather successful at their job.  I believe we need to leave it to them to decide what is right for our country.  After all, our safety is mostly in their hands, with exception to some marine mammals.  Not ours.

Next Steps:

           In recent years, the Navy has decided to expand their underwater forces to some other useful marine mammals beside the trusty dolphin.  Sea lions and certain types of whales have provided help to the troops dealing with the constant terrorist bomb threats that take place in the ocean.  These mammals are the next step that the U.S. Navy is taking to install a secure system of underwater protection and surveillance.  Based on this source, I believe that the United States Navy is doing their best to provide an organized military group of mammals to defend our Navy’s ships and troops.  Keeping a record of the missions and operations completed will show critics that the method in use is the most efficient and successful.  Providing regular documentation on each mammal’s health will show that professional veterinarians take intensive care with each animal’s life. 

Military Use of Dolphins: Log #4

Pickrell, John. “Dolphins Deployed as Undersea Agents in Iraq.” National Geographic News, March 28 (2003). Web. 14 Oct. 2011. <http:// news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/03/0328_030328_wardolphins.html>.

Summary:

In the article “Dolphins Deployed as Undersea Agents in Iraq” by John Pickrell, the author describes how the United States Navy is using intensively trained bottlenose dolphins to locate potentially lethal and obstructive anti-ship mines which are cluttered amongst the seafloor close to the port of Umm Qasr in Iraq.  Whitlow Au, who works with Hawaii’s Marine Mammal Research Program in Kailua claims that, “dolphins have the best sonar on the planet… the Navy does not have any technological sonar that can find buried mines except for their dolphin system.”  The dolphins’ incomparable sonar capabilities and excellent intelligence make them perfect for detecting mines underwater where military equipment is practically ineffective.  The article also describes how dolphins use vocalizations as a “kind of biological radar to scope out the surroundings.”  This interesting technique allows the mammals to identify objects that would normally be hidden from sight.  The high or low frequency received by the dolphin’s clicking sounds direct them in the route to enemy mines, bombs, or any other dangerous submerged object.  Enemy swimmers, divers, and other terrorist related items, have also been spotted by dolphins and properly dealt with.  Using dolphins for mine detection missions might seem risky, but the Navy strongly argues that the intelligent mammals are not at risk of being hurt, injured, or even killed.  According to Tom Lapuzza, the dolphins are so well trained, that their chances of getting harmed completing a mission are little to none.

Response:

After reading this article, I was informed of some of the first types of missions that dolphins performed in for the U.S. military.  “Blue Game” was the first time that the mammals had been organized in a true combative situation to clear training mines off the coast of Norway in 2001.  I learned that before this time, the Navy started training marine mammals for a variety of operations since the early 1960’s.  Beluga, pilot, and killer whales were also included in the training alongside of the dolphins.  Critics of the Navy’s methods to use mammals in the military say that they are being put in harms way when they have no say in the situation.  Stephanie Boyles, a Wildlife Biologist at the People For Ethical Treatment of Animals in Norfolk, Virginia, claims that even “though the dolphins are perfectly capable of performing the tasks, they are so intelligent and free-willed that they sometimes choose not to.”  She also believes that if the mammals choose to not complete a mission, they could easily harm themselves and human lives.

Next Steps:

As I searched for information about the military use of dolphins, I chose to use this source because it provided a strong argument for why using mammals in the military is useful and why it is cruel and dangerous.  The Navy believes that dolphins carry out important and successful missions all the time that humans simply cannot.  They assert that the dolphins’ exceptional sonar ability allow them to detect important enemy threats that ordinary humans and modern technology simply can’t identify.  The United States Navy has trained dolphins for combative purposes since the 1960’s, so why stop now?  However, those who strongly believe that the use of these mammals is cruel, unethical, and dangerous want it to stop immediately.  Most of them believe that our troops deserve a strong defense, but that this is not the correct method.  They argue that dolphins put not only their lives at risk, but the troops lives at risk as well.  Critics declare that even the smartest of the dolphins can make mistakes, and that these mistakes can easily be life threatening.

Military Use of Dolphins: Log #3

Townsend, Mark. “Armed and Dangerous - Flipper the Firing Dolphin Let Loose by Katrina.” The Observer, September 24 (2005). Web. 12 Oct. 2011. <http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/sep/25/usa.theobserver>.

Summary:

In the article “Armed and Dangerous - Flipper the Firing Dolphin Let Loose by Katrina” by Mark Townsend, the author describes how 36 of the U.S. Navy’s trained dolphins were accidently released by the result of Hurricane Katrina.  These dolphins, armed with ‘toxic dart’ guns, were specifically trained by the military to shoot terrorists and identify spies or terrorists underwater.  The fear now is that these dangerously equipped mammals will mistake a harmless diver, swimmer, or surfer for an enemy terrorist.  Leo Sheridan, an investigator working for the government, claims that these dolphins that escaped must be caught as soon as possible to avoid unwanted injury or even death.  Sheridan believes that even though these dolphins are among the smartest and most intelligent animals on the planet, they can still inaccurately spot a diver or windsurfer for a spy or suicide bomber.  In 1989, the navy began the classified Cetacean Intelligence Mission in San Diego, where the dolphins were trained to patrol, monitor, and protect Trident submarines in the harbor and with stationary warships at sea.  These advanced mammals wore harnesses and had electrodes planted under their skin to allow for the better detection of underwater movements.  The article also talks about how animal rights groups criticize that the use of dolphins in the military has become more secretive and carefully guarded by the U.S. Navy.  However, this criticism was put aside as proof of successful missions arose after the Yemen terror attack on the USS Cole in 2000, and after mines near an Iraqi port were identified and destroyed.

Response:

After reading this article, I was curious as to how many military dolphins were really able to escape into the ocean after the devastating Hurricane Katrina.  It was claimed that experts stated that there were about 36 of the mammals missing.  After hearing that the dolphins had escaped, I thought that it was important that the U.S. Navy immediately caught them so that all the time and money spent training these mammals for military missions did not go to waste.  Besides that, these dolphins were said to possible be armed with ‘toxic dart’ guns which could harm innocent civilians in the waters around beaches in the Gulf of Mexico.  I believe that Leo Sheridan brought up a significant topic about human safety.  He asserted that even though dolphins are extremely intelligent, they could still make the simple mistake of shooting an innocent swimmer who is wearing a wetsuit like the ones the dolphins train with.  The article said that the mystery of the escaped dolphins arose when a group of eight were spotted with the help of the Navy.  I was happy to hear that the Navy scientists who examined the mammals did not release them back into the ocean until they made sure they were healthy and not dangerous.

Next Steps:

As I searched for information about the military use of dolphins, I decided to use this source because it shows a rare case in which the training of military dolphins caused a threat to innocent American lives.  These mammals were professionally trained to complete underwater combative missions, and I believe the Navy should devise a plan of exactly how to catch them if another situation like such ever arose again.  Maybe a harmless GPS tracking device could be planted into their skin to that the dolphins could easily be spotted, identified, and captured.  The U.S. Navy should train the dolphins to stay close to the ships and not roam the oceans freely just because they were released from captivity.  The use of dolphins and other mammals in the military is, in my opinion, a very useful and valuable asset to the U.S. Navy.  However, if they start escaping and become dangerous to the public, it could become a problem.

Military Use of Dolphins: Log #2

Leinwand, Donna. “Sea Lions Called to Duty in Persian Gulf.” USA Today, February 17 (2003). Web. 10 Oct. 2011. <http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2003-02-16-sealions-usat_x.html>.

Summary:

In the article “Sea Lions Called to Duty in Persian Gulf” by Donna Leinwand, the author describes how the U.S. Navy is now using trained sea lions as a way to protect ships from terrorists in the Persian Gulf.  In addition to the dolphins already in use for military security underwater, sea lions have made their way to the field.  They are being used to detect swimmers or divers that seem to be approaching Navy ships and boats.  Once spotted, the sea lions are specifically trained to silently approach the swimmer, attach a clamp around their legs, and swim off without being detected.  Tom LaPuzza, a spokesman for the Navy’s Marine Mammal Program, claims that this is the safest and most effective way to restrain a possible enemy diver without risking the accident if it were to be a U.S. Navy swimmer.  Recently, the Navy has also recruited beluga whales alongside sea lions to deliver equipment to divers, locate and retrieve equipment, detect and mark underwater mines, provide underwater surveillance, and guard and defend ships and submarines.  As well as dolphins, sea lions have exceptional underwater directional hearing and the ability to see in complete darkness.  This allows for the unmatched skill to identify mines, explosives, and other dangerous underwater objects.  According to the Space and Naval Warfare System Center in San Diego, twenty sea lions have been trained for combat there.  However, the military will not release information on exactly how many sea lions are currently completing missions in Bahrain’s harbor of the Persian Gulf.

Response:

After reading this article, I was shocked at how well the sea lions are trained to be able to complete such specific and demanding tasks.  Sneaking up on an enemy swimmer seems like a very difficult and unsafe task, but if sea lions are able to fulfill these objectives, then U.S. Navy lives will be much safer.  I was unaware that beluga whales were added to the arsenal of military mammals, but it seems as though both provide extremely useful help.  They can locate, retrieve, and deliver crucial equipment to the Navy, as well as detect underwater mines.  The Navy stated that terrorists often send swimmers and divers to attach bombs to the bottom of ships.  I am glad to see that sea lions are also trained well enough to provide surveillance and guard the bottom of these ships and submarines from bomb threats.  The article claimed that the training of sea mammals started in 1960 when the Navy purchased a dolphin to study its hydrodynamics and ability to perform underwater military tasks once trained.  This piece of information shows that the Navy has been doing this for at least 50 years now, and have probably determined the safest way to train these mammals and keep them healthy while in captivity.

Next Steps:

As I searched for information about the military use of dolphins, I decided to use this source because it shows how a variety of sea mammals are now being used in the underwater war efforts.  Not only are dolphins being used, but now sea lions and beluga whales are providing security for the U.S. Navy.  I was curious as to the number of sea lions being used at the Bahrain harbor in the Persian Gulf, but secrecy is not always a bad thing, especially in today’s world.  Nonetheless, they did say that the sea lions traveled to the Gulf by plane while being accompanied by their handler and veterinarians.  It is safe to say that the mammals were probably in good hands and properly treated and cared for.  Expanding the use of mammals to sea lions and whales provides a window of opportunity to search for the perfect animal to execute military actions for the U.S. Navy.

Military Use of Dolphins: Log #1

Holley, Joe. “James Fitzgerald; Pioneered Military’s Use of Dolphins.” The Washington Post, January 27 (2006). Web. 5 Oct. 2011. <http://www. washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/26/AR2006012602222html>.

Summary:

          In the article “James Fitzgerald; Pioneered Military’s Use of Dolphins” by Joe Holley, the author describes how Fitzgerald was hired by the CIA in 1964, to perform experiments to determine if dolphins could possibly be trained to perform missions for the Navy.  He came up with this idea of using mammals in warfare when he thought about how they rely on natural sonar for navigation and hearing.  While working with only six dolphins, Fitzgerald and his associates discovered that the animals were rather intelligent and could be used to “seek out underwater mines, attach explosives and eavesdropping devices on enemy ships and help diver recover lost weapons from the ocean floor.”  Without wasting any time, in 1965, the Navy put the dolphins into action.  Tuffy, a bottlenose dolphin, became the Navy’s first sea mammal to complete a military mission by delivering tools and mail underwater to another military post.  Fitzgerald’s work later expanded to sea lions and whales, also using them in missions.  Even though he has past away, his methods are still controversial and therefore, the military tries to keep the mammals’ missions a secret.  Recent operations using combat-trained dolphins in the Iraq war have proven extremely successful.  They were reportedly able to detect six enemy mines during their first 36 hours in water.

Response:

          After reading this article, I was amazed how James Fitzgerald was able to train these dolphins to perform in combative military situations so long ago.  Technology in 1964 was not very advanced, so he figured out a way to use mammals in the Navy that is much safer and effective than previous methods.  I was surprised how Fitzgerald was clever enough to realize that dolphins could be used in the military with their natural sonar as a way to detect mines and explosives.  I thought this was a very good concept considering that human lives are no longer at risk when searching for these dangerous objects.  Those who oppose Fitzgerald’s method should think about the lives that are being saved in the Navy and how much safer his method really is.  His original approach was to create a way in which mammals could be used to complete underwater combat, and he did just that.  Some people who disagree with Fitzgerald’s system believe that it is unfair to use the dolphins because they have no choice.  They claim that the dolphins are being tortured and forced to complete missions that they do not desire.  Opponents are essentially comparing humans to mammals when they are entirely different, and the only positive entity coming out of his method is human lives being saved.

Next Steps:

          As I searched for information about the military use of dolphins, I decided to use this source because it shows where the method originated and what it has done positive for our United States Navy.  I was curious as to how many dolphins the military keeps in captivity to be trained for combat at any given time.  I know that it is not healthy for mammals to be contained in small areas because they are supposed to be roaming the oceans freely.  It would also be interesting to find out if there were any other alternatives to completing these dangerous military operations that could save the lives of humans and mammals.  Perhaps a remote controlled underwater craft could seek out submerged mines and explosives.  Many possibilities for underwater combat exist, but it is up to the Navy to determine the safest and most effective method.