Evidence is emerging that the North Korean regime is training dolphins for military purposes, according to new satellite imagery.

While the U.S. Navy pioneered the training of dolphins and other marine mammals for naval purposes and has a program based in San Diego, it’s not a capability most navies can afford. To date, only the Russian Navy, with bases in the Arctic and Black Sea, has followed suit.

Animal pens were spotted in satellite imagery in the brown waters between a shipyard and a coal loading pier. This location may still be in use intermittently, possibly for training with the naval units based nearby. But the main activity moved to a site further up the river on the edge of town. This base, possibly where the dolphins are bred, began its development in October 2016.

Comparisons to the marine mammal pens used by the U.S. Navy and Russian Navy suggest that the North Korean pens are sized for dolphins.

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