Posted on 01/13/2012 8:11:23 PM PST by traumer
If Iran closes the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. Navy has a backup plan to save one-fifth of the world's daily oil trade: send in the dolphins.
The threat of Iran closing the strait has reached a fever pitch, reports today's New York Times, with U.S. officials warning Iran's supreme leader that such moves would cross a "red line" provoking a U.S. response. Iran could block the strait with any assortment of mines, armed speed boats or anti-ship cruise missiles but according to Michael Connell at the Center for Naval Analysis, “The immediate issue [for the U.S. military] is to get the mines.” To solve that problem, the Navy has a solution that isn't heavily-advertised but has a time-tested success rate: mine-detecting dolphins.
"We've got dolphins," said retired Adm. Tim Keating in a Wednesday interview with NPR. Keating commanded the U.S. 5th Fleet in Bahrain during the run-up to the Iraq war. He sounded uncomfortable with elaborating on the Navy's use of the lovable mammals but said in a situation like the standoff in Hormuz, Navy-trained dolphins would come in handy:
(Excerpt) Read more at theatlanticwire.com ...
According to a report in 2003, the dolphins only detect the mines. Destroying them is left up to the Navy’s human divers.
Still, the mammals are large enough to detonate a live mine, a prospect that doesn’t delight animal rights groups.
I think they are more dependent on those that wear “dolphins”.
This will end well....
Wonder why? We use the heck out of dogs, and honestly? I've never had a cetacaen curl up around the foot of my sleeping bag and keep me safe and warm during the night.
/johnny
Just put laser beams on their frickin foreheads and be done with it.
Oak A Doke A.
Beneficent and beautiful sentient beings dying in a worthless gesture.
Just send the Ortho man instead.
Laying mines in an international shipping route should be an act of war.
I don’t think that the Miami Dolphins are up to it this year.
Maybe we should us the Tampa Rays. They carrier a better sting.
Fa killed Pa...
`laser beams on their frickin foreheads’
Or mines. Russian mine-dogs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Lv_vd30s5s
Uh
Well
There was this one time——oh never mind
Smile
...the U.S. Navy has a backup plan to save one-fifth of the world's daily oil trade...Ridiculous. Everyone knows the Mossad is the only espionage service that uses wildlife to attack Islam. ;')
Day of the Dolphin...
;)
/johnny
I suggest the U.S. put out a story that a Japanese whaling ship is going after whales in the channel, then let the whaling activists “find” the mines. That solves two problems, not just one.
Oh wait, Obama hates the military - he wouldn’t go with the ruse. He also loves protesters, so no go on this.
Still, Israel could put out the story, they’re our friends even if the Messiah isn’t.
Oh my
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