Is the US military testing weapons on animals?
War is possibly the biggest atrocity that humanity has created. Widely condemned as the most heinous creation of mankind, the destruction of war is well-documented and much discussed. But some victims of the world's warfare remain hidden. Aside from animals who are harmed in attacks and blasts, there are also the numerous animal victims of army experiments. Militaries around the world conduct a variety of tests on animals, including shooting, bombs, biological and chemical weapons, and even nuclear agents. And the US army is far from innocent when it comes to waging a hidden war on animals.
Credit: Moving Animals
As veterans call for a ban to be reinstated, we take a look at animal testing in the military.
The US military has an extensive and shameful history of animal experimentation, going back many decades. In1946, 4000 sheep, goats and other animals were placed on a boat in the South Pacific and an atomic blast was detonated above them, killing some and injuring the rest. In 1987, rats were covered with ethanol and then set aflame for 10 seconds at the Naval Medical Institute in Maryland. A year later, at Kirkland Air Force Base in New Mexico, sheep were put into a net sling against a reflecting planet and an explosive was detonated at a close distance to test the resistance of a vest worn during the impact. Since the late 1950s, the US Department of Defence has conducted experiments where dogs and other animals were shot with high-powered weapons for medical training practice. In the 1980s, following animal rights campaigns and public pressure, the use of dogs in these drills was limited. In 2005, the Army issued Regulation 40-33, banning the use of dogs, cats, primates, and marine mammals in “research conducted for development of biological, chemical, or nuclear weapons.” However, goats, sheep, and pigs continue to be used. PETA eyewitness investigations of these practices have shown live goats' limbs cut off with tree trimmers in 2012, and conscious pigs being shot in the face the following year.
Photo: PETA
Any progress, incomplete as it is, is good news – but sometimes, those hard-won victories are frustratingly rolled back. In 2020, the army overturned the aforementioned long-standing ban on using dogs, cats, primates, and marine animals in weapon-wounding tests, with its new Policy 84, which states that “The purchase or use of dogs, cats, nonhuman primates, or marine mammals to inflict wounds upon using a weapon for the purpose of conducting medical research, development, testing, or evaluation must be approved by the USAMRDC Animal Care & Use Review Office … prior to initiation,” making clear that the use of these animals is hence no longer prohibited. Information about whether these tests are actually carried out, where, when, and how many animals are used, is virtually always classified and nearly impossible to obtain. After PETA filed a Freedom of Information request on tests involving dogs, cats, primates and marine animals, the request was denied on the basis of the information being classified – one document was indeed found, but could not be released. It remains unclear whether animals are being used in weapon-wounding experiments by the US Army, and if so, to what extent.
Veterans are standing up to this abuse - over 250 former US Army service members recently teamed up with PETA to sign a letter to Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth, urging to reinstate the ban that Policy 84 wiped out. The letter states that aside from the heinous cruelty involved, these archaic tests are of no use to humans: the physiological differences between a human body and a dog's body are too large for any conclusions to be applicable to humans.
Other animal rights groups have also stood behind a proposed ban on animal testing in the military. Last year, Cruelty Free International backed an amendment to the US Department of Defense funding bill which calls for the use of live animals in military training to be phased out by 2028. Monica Engebretson, Head of Public Affairs for North America for Cruelty Free International, has said, “Directing the Department of Defense to establish a pro-active strategy for ending the use of live animals and to report annually on its progress toward this goal will help to usher in humane and human-relevant approaches to research, testing and training that will benefit our troops and prevent animal suffering.”
What’s the solution?
Credit: Simulab
Using animals in military training is far from a necessity – in fact, 80 percent of NATO countries don't do it. Since testing on animals isn't reliable, what are the better options? The new generation of human-relevant testing methods is beyond promising. Human simulation, where human-anatomical models are used in the place of live animals, has proven beneficial to trainees' skills in military training. The simulators can breathe, bleed, convulse, and replicate human organs in a way that is much more reliable than using a dog, goat, or sheep. Models such as the TraumaMan human patient simulator respond in a more human-like manner, are anatomically correct, and developed especially for testing, training, and research. It has, in fact, been used in military courses.
As the world continues to modernize, the use of animals is proving too archaic and unreliable to safely continue. But perhaps the biggest question we should be asking ourselves is whether it is ethically correct to torture sentient individuals for something as morally repugnant as war. The answer is clear to most – and wherever you stand on the complex topic of warfare and defence, the availability of superior human-relevant models makes any continued use of animals even more reprehensible.
Species Unite believes it’s time to put an end to all US military testing on animals. We are calling on the Department of Defense to stop these cruel and unnecessary tests on animals and embrace humane, scientifically advanced, animal-free alternatives. Please join us in demanding change here.
Written by Sascha Camilli
Sascha Camilli is a writer, speaker and vegan fashion expert. She founded the world's first digital vegan fashion magazine Vilda, and is the author of Vegan Style: Your Plant-Based Guide to Beauty, Fashion, Home & Travel. Her podcast, Catwalk Rebel, is out now.
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