LATEST ANIMAL WEAPON/TESTING
SHARK
Scientists are experimenting with brain implants in animals, so that they can be remotely controlled to carry out tasks such as detecting explosives, sending transmissions and acting as spies. Some recent projects funded by the USA&s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency(DARPA), include ‘Controlled Biological and Biometrics Systems’ such as remote controlled rats and sharks.
DOLPHIN
in March 2003, nine US Navy dolphins and sea lions became the first marine mammals to take part in mine clearing operations in an active combat situation in the Umm Qasr harbour, Northern Persian Gulf, Iraq The US Navy has been working with sea mammals since the 1950s.
SEA-LION
Mine detection
Trained dolphins use their biological sonar(echolocation) to alert personnel to the location of sea mines.
Dolphins and sea lions are trained to protect piers, ships, harbours and anchorages against unauthorised swimmers, divers and vehicles. Dolphins were first used during the Vietnam War. It has been speculated that they were used offensively to attack enemy divers with hydrogen filled syringes, but the US Navy denies this.
Object recovery.
Since 1975, Californian sea lions have been used to locate and recover underwater objects.
ROBO-ANIMAL
the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency also funds research into robots. One company is developing an robot that mimics the actions of an animal and is designed to be used for transportation. it is the size of a large dog, or small mule. it can trot at 3.3mph, climb a 35 degree slope and carry a 120lb load. Another company is working with DARPA to develop bomb-sniffing robots that are designed to protect soldiers from explosive devices.
A ‘Robolobster’ has been developed for the Navy and a marsupial rotob was used in search and rescue operations at the World Trade Centre following the September 11 terrorist attack.
LAIKA THE POOR DOG
the Soviet Union sent the first dog, Laika, into orbit on the spacecraft Sputnik 2 on 2 November 1957. Laika was a stray who was specially trained. Although Sputnik 2 was fitted with life-suuport systems, it was not designed to return to earth. Laika died from over-heating and stress just a few hours into the mission. Sputnik 2 circled the Earth 2570 times and burned up in the earth’s atmosphere on 4 April 1958. At least 13 other Russian dogs were launched into orbit between November 1957 and March 1961. Five of the dogs died in Flight.
CANARY
British officer with two per canaries, 1918. canaries were also used to detect poison gas in the First World War.
PIG
Soda the pig sniffs out an anti-personnel device in southern Israel, September 2003. Pigs have been found to have a superior sense of smell to dogs and are easier and cheaper to train.
RATS
:above:
A giant pouched rat picks up the scent of a suspected anti-personnel mine, Mozambique, 2004.
:Below:
A giant pouched rat. Pouched rats can clear about 150 square metres of ground in 30 minutes and are able to detect most types of mine. The cost of training a rat in mine detection is about a thousand pounds, one fifth of what it costs to train a dog for the same task.
PIGEON
ANIMAL BOMB
DOG
PIGEON.
in the 1950s at Camp Detrick, Maryland, the US military developed a pigeon bomb in an attempt to perfect a way of destroying an enemy’s good supplies. The feathers of the pigeon were dusted wit cereal rust spores, a disease that attacks crops. It was discovered that after a 100-mile flight enough spores remained on the feathers to infect the oats in the pigeon’s cages. The military then experimented with dropping pigeons out of aircraft over the Virgin Islands. finally they dispensed with live birds and filled a ‘cluster bomb’ with contaminated turkey feathers. The first anti-crop bombs went into production for the US Air Force in 1951.
