Dolphins seek MIA sub

SKAGERRAK, Norway, May 6 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy was searching Thursday for a missing unmanned mini-submarine in the sea off Kristiansand, Norway.

Rather than taking part in naval maneuver Blue Game, the USS Swift was using dolphins to find the missing vessel in Skagerrak, Norway's Aftenposten newspaper reported Thursday.

The 2 ton 11.5 foot long sub, a Battlespace Preparation Autonomous Underwater Vehicle, disappeared a week ago during a test run.

"The sub follows a pre-programmed pattern and so is not remote controlled. The idea is that it is supposed to come up again at a given place. But it didn't," Commander Thom Knustad of central defense headquarters said.

The USS Swift, a mine seeking vessel, had to break off the exercise after losing contact with the sub.

Trained dolphins armed with cameras are being used to try and find the sub. The dolphins have previously carried out successful searches for mines and mini-subs.

Knustad said if the sub was lying on the sea bed it would be at least as hard as finding a needle in a haystack.