Declassified Pentagon Files Reveal Cold War Mosquito Warfare Experiments
Secret Pentagon files expose terrifying Cold War plot to drop 'mosquito bombs' on US towns
Image: Dailystar Co Uk
Recently declassified Pentagon documents reveal that during the Cold War, the US Army conducted experiments to test the use of disease-carrying mosquitoes as biological weapons. These trials, part of Project Bellwether, included releasing infected mosquitoes over civilian areas to evaluate their effectiveness in warfare.
- 01Project Bellwether aimed to assess the potential of mosquitoes as biological warfare agents, specifically targeting Aedes aegypti mosquitoes known for spreading diseases.
- 02In 1955, Operation Big Buzz involved releasing 300,000 infected mosquitoes over Carver Village, Savannah, Georgia, to test their survival and targeting capabilities.
- 03The report indicates earlier mosquito-related programs from the mid-1950s, including Operation Drop Kick, which focused on the dispersal and biting effectiveness of mosquitoes.
- 04A 1960 Pentagon report documented follow-on trials in Utah, where soldiers volunteered to be bitten by mosquitoes to study their behavior in arid climates.
- 05Soviet claims during the Cold War alleged that the US was breeding 'killer mosquitoes,' which the CIA dismissed as propaganda.
Advertisement
In-Article Ad
Declassified documents from the Pentagon reveal unsettling details about US Army experiments during the Cold War, particularly Project Bellwether, which investigated the use of disease-infected mosquitoes as potential biological weapons. Between September and October 1959, tests were conducted to determine how effectively mosquitoes, specifically Aedes aegypti, could bite humans in hot conditions. The report highlights earlier programs like Operation Big Buzz, where 300,000 yellow fever-infected mosquitoes were released over Carver Village, a predominantly Black neighborhood in Savannah, Georgia. The goal was to assess the insects' survival after aerial dispersal. Additionally, the research included trials at the Dugway Proving Ground in Utah, where soldiers volunteered to be bitten to evaluate the mosquitoes' behavior in extreme weather. These findings raise ethical concerns regarding the use of civilians in such experiments and the implications of using biological agents in warfare. The documents also reference Soviet accusations of the US breeding 'killer mosquitoes,' which were dismissed by the CIA as propaganda.
Advertisement
In-Article Ad
The experiments conducted in civilian areas raise ethical concerns about the use of human populations in military testing.
Advertisement
In-Article Ad
Reader Poll
What do you think about the use of biological agents in military research?
Connecting to poll...
Read the original article
Visit the source for the complete story.