Battle Sharks

For decades, the military has employed animals in a variety of ways, from Hannibal's elephants to bat bombs. Horses are an excellent example of an animal that was tamed and suited to warfare. Other times, even though the idea seems great on paper, things don't always proceed as planned. For example, when the military desired to utilize sharks as weapons.

The military supported a scheme to implant sharks with technology that would allow them to be controlled and deployed as aquatic spies. The goal was that a shark's innate capacity to detect electrical impulses would enable it to track down hostile ships. That tale is from 2006, and as you may know, there are no known shark spies in the world right now, so the plan didn't quite work out.

The military was also working on a considerably more dramatic strategy between 1958 and 1971. They intended to equip sharks with explosives attached to their heads and employ them as live torpedoes. The bomb would be equipped with a compass and a pre-programmed route. If the shark deviated, they would be shocked on one side of the head or the other to keep it on track. No mind control is required; only painful sensations are required.

Why sharks rather than dolphins? Because dolphins make too much noise. Sharks are incredibly secretive, thus they were chosen. Except that sharks do not respond well to negative stimuli and will frequently fight back rather than submit. They were also inept at lifting heavy objects. As a consequence, the initiative was scrapped.

Year of Experiment: between 1958 and 1971