Navy dolphins will be replaced by robots, relegated along with sea lions to port security and retrieving objects from the sea floor
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Some dolphins used by the Navy to track down mines will soon lose their jobs to robots — but they'll be reassigned, not retired.
Starting in 2017, 24 of the Navy's 80 military-trained dolphins will be replaced by a 12-foot unmanned torpedo-shaped vehicle, according to UT San Diego (Navy dolphins losing out to robots Page 1 of 2 | UTSanDiego.com).The military said the machines can do some of the same mine-hunting duties as the sea creatures. And they can be manufactured quickly, unlike the seven years it takes to train a dolphin.But the dolphins won't be relieved of duty. They'll be used along with sea lions for port security and retrieving objects from the sea floor, the newspaper reported.
