The Royal Navy is set to test a powerful low-frequency sonar system off Scotland's west coast, which the Ministry of Defence last year admitted had "the potential to be harmful to marine mammals".
When the MoD announced the purchase of Sonar 2087 in 2002, it was described as having the environmental advantage of "not interfering with whales and dolphins".
Lord Bach, defence minister, was finally forced to admit the system posed a real threat to all marine creatures that navigate by sound waves.
Worldwide, hundreds of whales, dolphins and porpoises have beached themselves and died in incidents where it was likely they had been disorientated by naval sonar.
When a surface ship or submarine is searching for a target or for underwater obstacles, its sonar sends out a wall of sound which can reach the decibel levels of a jet engine. The return wave when the sound hits a solid object can be used to determine range.
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