One hundred and fifteen pigs have been killed in three years but the Ministry of Defence claims the research has saved human lives.
A Freedom of Information request from The Mirror has revealed pigs are being blown up by the military as part of research into battlefield injuries.
The paper claims some of the animals have been strapped in body armour before being killed in the experiments at Porton Down military base in Wiltshire.
The research was designed to see if the pigs could be saved after suffering “severe battlefield trauma” and to test blood clotting products.
(Photo: AP/Will Kincaid/File)
In 2010, 21 pigs were reportedly blown up, with 37 killed in 2011 and 57 in 2012.
Responding to the figures, a spokesperson for animal welfare group, Peta said: "The Ministry of Defence is out of step with the latest developments in education, which show unequivocally that to shoot, stab or blow up live pigs in order to train our military medics makes as much sense as conducting modern warfare with muskets.
"Vastly superior non-animal trauma training methods, including life-like human-patient simulators, are available and used by the militaries of 23 of the UK's 27 Nato allies.
Jørn Stjerneklar
"The UK military's involvement in these cruel and archaic exercises is impossible to justify medically, ethically or educationally."
They added: "Animals do not wage war, so why should they suffer because humans do? Wars are human endeavours, but just like civilians, animals can easily become victims. For animals, there are no Geneva Conventions and no peace treaties – just our mercy. Our troops deserve the best protection, and animals deserve to be left out of human conflict."
Jørn Stjerneklar
The Ministry of Defence has responded to the FOI revelations by saying the research conducted using the pigs has been vital and lead to numerous medical breakthroughs.
A spokeswoman told BuzzFeed the experiments had developed improved treatments of trauma, which had in turn saved lives in Afghanistan.
It has apparently also developed a safe treatment for botulism and helped create effective treatments for biological and chemical agents.
Jørn Stjerneklar
