A U.S. Navy Seals’ Secret Weapon: Elite Dog Team

the U.S. Navy last year awarded an $86,000 contract to Canadian firm K9 Storm Incorporated for the supply of protective gear for dogs.

On its website, K9 Storm mentions that the assault vest “defeats a combination of ballistic and ice pick threats.” The “aerial insertion vest” is also said to be able to withstand damage from single and double-edged knives. Protection against shrapnel and gunfire may also be provided.

Page additionally wrote that U.S. Navy SEAL special forces dogs have been equipped with “infrared nightsight cameras and an intruder communication system able to penetrate concrete walls.” Such a system would have been useful during Monday’s raid in Pakistan, based on the description of bin Laden’s compound.

Like their human colleagues, the Navy SEAL dogs may also be equipped with a self-inflating lifejacket in their assault and aerial vests, in the event that the dogs wind up in water. The weight of their gear could otherwise pull them downward but, like canine 007’s, these dogs appear ready to handle almost any threat that comes their way.