McCain slams bomb-sniffing elephant research — but Army says hold on

[jakeXT]

WASHINGTON — Sen. John McCain launched a new attack this week targeting one of his favorites examples of military waste: the Army’s research into bomb-sniffing elephants.

In a report on federal waste released Thursday, the senator scoffed at the prospect of the Army deploying elephants to the battlefield, saying “even Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is sending its remaining Asian elephants to a conservation center.”

But the criticism is misleading, according to a response from the service. The Army Research, Development and Engineering Command said the program was never meant to send pachyderms to war and instead was searching for a breakthrough in electronic sensors to protect frontline troops.

The exploratory research project received $50,000 in 2012 — a small drop in the Army’s large bucket of research funding — and was looking for a breakthrough on a preserve in South Africa where elephants had appeared to detect and avoid buried landmines using their keen sense of smell.

http://www.stripes.com/news/us/mccain-slams-bomb-sniffing-elephant-research-but-army-says-hold-on-1.345112

[leftofcool]

1. Johnny Five Planes will slam anything that doesn't include something that goes boom!