Russian marine biologists are training seals to defend the country’s fleet of nuclear submarines, the Izvestia newspaper reported

MOSCOW, Russia; April 21, 2007.- The paper quoted biologists as saying seals were the animal of choice to defend submarine bases on Russia’s Arctic coast because they could weather the icy temperatures.

Navy strategists are interested in using the sleek swimmers but little military funding has so far been given to the scientists, the paper said.

Russia’s Defence Ministry was unavailable for comment.

In the Cold War, the Soviet Union sought to match US attempts to use sea mammals such as dolphins to alert humans to intrusions at secret bases and even destroy enemy ships.

(Reuters)

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