5 dolphins wanted for service in the military

zainab quadri

March 16, 2016 4:22 PM

The Russian military is looking to employ five bottlenose dolphins in a contract worth 125 million Naira.

5 dolphins wanted for service in the military

The Russian military is looking to employ five bottlenose dolphins in a contract worth 1.75 million rubles (125 million Naira), according to a notice posted by the Defense Ministry on the government's procurement website.

According to the tender, the contractor must catch three male and two female dolphins between the ages of 3 and 5 by Aug. 1.

The length of the dolphins' bodies should not exceed 2.7 meters (the average size for this species).

The specific objectives for the use of dolphins were not disclosed. It is possible that Russia is resuming a large-scale training program for marine "saboteurs."

Until the collapse of the USSR, dolphins had been intensively trained at the research oceanarium in Cossack Bay in for underwater operations, including demining, mining, anti-saboteur missions and reconnaissance.

Russia is not the only one using sea animals for defense purposes. The American combat dolphin training center is located on the U.S. naval base in San Diego, California and has 85 dolphins and 50 sea lions.

The animals are trained to perform various tasks, including clearing mines, and even operating in concert with drones.

zainab quadri