This hand out photo from the U.S. Navy show Signalman 2nd Class Diver Harlold Bickford, a mammal handler from Commander Task Unit (CTU-55.4.3), brushing the teeth of a bottlenose dolphin in the well deck aboard the USS Gunston Hall (Photo by Brien Aho/U.S. Navy/Getty Images)
Sevastopol, Ukraine (CBS Seattle) – Three elite Ukrainian commandos have gone AWOL.
The dolphins are highly trained, intelligent, and can strike anywhere.
Ukrainian media reported earlier this month that three military trained dolphins didn’t return to their base in the Crimean port of Sevastopol. The dolphins were reported to be out during a training exercise.
These particular dolphins are trained in the use of special knives and firearms to kill enemy divers. They are also adept in the use of explosives to sink enemy ships.
It’s unknown if the three missing dolphins had such equipment on them when they went missing, but it is believed that they are out seeking mates.
The Ukrainian dolphin program has its roots in the Soviet era. During the cold war, the U.S.S.R. trained the dolphins to attack enemies and detect underwater mines.
The U.S.S.R. handed over the program to the Ukrainians after its break-up.
Dolphins are used in militaries across the world. The United States has such a program although their dolphins are not trained to attack and are used for intelligence purposes.
Those dolphins were used for the war in Iraq.
