Romanian Minister on combat dolphins at NATO Back Sea drills: "It is a novelty"

“It is a novelty that dolphins trained for military missions will be deployed in the Black Sea,” said Romania's National Defense Minister Mircea Dusa, after several foreign media outlets announced the US Navy was to send combat dolphins to the region. It will be for the first time when NATO uses such dolphins in its drills. It may also be the first time when US combat dolphins meet their Russian counterparts. The US and Russia host the world's only military dolphin training facilities. Bringing in trained dolphins adds to the existing military exercises in the region, including the recent deployment of a second warship, USS Taylor, after USS Donald Cook last week. According to international media, 20 dolphins and 10 sea lions will take part in the military drills in the Black Sea, which should last between one and two weeks. The dolphins will test the new anti-radar system, which should disorientate enemy sonar, and they will also search for mines and other military devices. New armor for dolphins will also be put to test in the Black Sea. The dolphins are likely to be brought by plane, which is costly and risky for the mammals, according to commentators. This drills will be within the framework of the marine mammals training program, Tom LaPuzza, spokesman for the US Navy's marine mammals program reportedly said. Around 100 dolphins, California sea lions, and beluga whales are currently active in the US Navy. These are part of joint NATO – Ukraine war games, scheduled to take place this year, according to NATO. These however come soon after the conflicts in Ukraine and and annexation of Crimea to Russia. Russia's military trained dolphins joined the country's Navy after the Crimea event last month. editor@romania-insider.com