US Army To Train Rats To Save Soldiers' Lives

Hugh Pickens writes "The Department of Defense currently relies on dogs as the animal of choice for explosives detection but training dogs is expensive and takes a long time. Now the U.S. Army is sponsoring a project to develop and test a rugged, automated and low-cost system for training rats to detect improvised explosive devices and mines. 'The automated system we're developing is designed to inexpensively train rats to detect buried explosives to solve an immediate Army need for safer and lower-cost mine removal,' says senior research engineer William Gressick. Trained rats would also create new opportunities to detect anything from mines to humans buried in earthquake rubble because rats can search smaller spaces than a dog can, and are easier to transport. Rats have already been trained by the National Police in Colombia to detect seven different kinds of explosives including ammonium nitrate and fuel oil, gunpowder and TNT but the Rugged Automated Training System (Rats) research sponsored by the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, plans to produce systems for worldwide use since mines are widespread throughout much of Africa, Asia, and Central America and demining operations are expected to continue for decades to restore mined land to civilian use. 'Beyond this application, the system will facilitate the use of rats in other search tasks such as homeland security and search-and-rescue operations" adds Gressick. "In the long-term, the system is likely to benefit both official and humanitarian organizations.'" A rodent-vs-mine matchup has apparently been in the works for some time.

Can this replace the TSA?

[Required Snark]

Can we replace the rats who currently infest our airports with actual four legged rats? It would be an obvious improvement that would be welcomed by the general public.

Plus, many fewer people would mind if a rodent saw them naked.

Yeah... BORING!

[Greyfox]

Train the rats to swarm on command and skeletonize an enemy, THEN we'll have something! On days when they do that, you don't even have to feed them!

Awesome

[phrostie]

Putting polititians in the front lines?

Another cheesy attempt...

[gestalt_n_pepper]

to exploit animals.

Re:Can this replace the TSA?

[Iskender]

Proceed to room 101 for the rat inspection, Citizen.

Re:Can this replace the TSA?

[RabidReindeer]

I thought they were supposed to use lawyers for this.

Re:Can this replace the TSA?

[StripedCow]

Can we replace the rats who currently infest our airports with actual four legged rats?

And then, conversely, we can use the TSA officers to detect explosives in the army.

Psychological Operations value, as well

[PolygamousRanchKid]

When battling superstitious folks, who believe in black magic, a soldier commanding a squad of rats could really scare the living bejesus out of insurgent types:

"Do not dare to think about attacking us, or our hordes of rats will destroy your crops and rape your virgins!"

On the other hand, having rats as your henchmen might also convince them that you really are the Great Satan. I guess we'll need some field trials to see how that works.

Are rats Halal?