Military used pigs in blasts to test armor

[babylonsister]

Military used pigs in blasts to test armor
By Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY


WASHINGTON — Military researchers have dressed live pigs in body armor and strapped them into Humvee simulators that were then blown up with explosives to study the link between roadside bomb blasts and brain injury.

For an 11-month period that ended in December, researchers subjected pigs and rats to about 200 blasts, according to Pentagon documents and interviews. The explosions have ranged in intensity, wounding some of the pigs and killing others. Roadside bombs are the top killer of U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The research on pigs has determined that body armor does not worsen brain injury, said Jan Walker, a spokeswoman for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, which conducted the study. The military feared body armor would deflect the force of blasts toward the head and increase the risk of brain injury.

The research also shows that body armor protects troops' lungs and is critical to surviving blasts.

"If use of animal subjects in testing results in our ability to save lives or prevent injury to our troops, we're confident this is the right thing to do," Walker said. Pigs without body armor died from blasts within 24 to 48 hours, while those with armor survived "significantly higher blasts," she said.

Blasting pigs raises "red flags," said Martin Stephens, vice president for animal research issues at the Humane Society of the United States.

"This is a worthy goal, trying to prevent soldiers from being injured by roadside bombs," Stephens said. "I think the relevance of this is highly questionable. People are not pigs."

more...

http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/2009-04-06-pigs_N.htm

[Deja Q]

1. True, but we can feed pigs to people and this is cheaper than hiring a butcher.

:hide:




(I can't believe that people would see how using a pig in armor would then equate soldiers as being pigs. Loose associations aren't always correct.)

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

2. Pigs seem to be the usual trauma stand-ins.

I think it has to do with their similar mass and similarity of circulatory system.

Trauma doctors learn to treat (human) gun-shot wounds on shot pigs.

[Mojorabbit]

7. They have exceptionally hard skulls

though. That might skew the tests unless they accounted for that.

[The Straight Story]

3. That is a quick way to make bacon, add in some chickens for the eggs

Breakfast would be a blast :hide:

[XOKCowboy]

8. Right after the tests... BBQ Cookoff!!

May I join you?:hide:

[Mari333]

4. the military uses animals abusively..why am I not surprised

assholes.

I would be far more delighted if they used most of Congress .

[damntexdem]

6. Better than abusing humans.

And as with other research, it could have applications to situations other than military ones.

Further, any military research aimed at preserving lives and lessening injuries is very much a net gain.

[Mari333]

9. bull.

If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men."St Francis.

[crankmob]

10. thx

[Oregone]

14. Well, you know, its sort of the military's job to deal likewise with their fellow man...

So, I guess its rather fitting actually.

[SoCalNative]

11. I'd rather they use death row prisoners

kills 2 birds with one stone and saves a pig.

[Oregone]

15. State sponsored murder is so fucking awesome

Screw football. Ill grab a 24 pack of Coors and watch that instead

[damntexdem]

5. Mighty expensive way to produce bacon bits.

But it is FULLY relevant to human injuries.

And animal rights activists are barely-human pigs who care more for pigs than for humans.

[Mari333]

12. oh, cut the dominionist crap. its tiresome religious baloney. nt

[OnyxCollie]

13. Pigs are often used as human analogs.

Mythbusters has used pigs to see if cannonballs will go through multiple bodies. (They will.) Of course, the pigs Mythbusters used were already dead.

It could be worse. Back in the day, human cadavers were used to test car crash impacts.