In one of the war's strangest weapons programs, behavioral psychologist B.F. Skinner proposed using trained pigeons to guide missiles. His "Project Pigeon" (later renamed Project Orcon) involved placing pigeons inside the nose cone of a bomb, where they would peck at a screen showing the target. Their pecking controlled the bomb's steering fins through a mechanical linkage.
Skinner trained the pigeons using operant conditioning, rewarding them for pecking at images of ships and other targets. The birds proved remarkably accurate and resistant to distraction—they stayed focused even under simulated combat conditions with noise and turbulence.
Despite successful demonstrations, the National Defense Research Committee found it difficult to take the project seriously. It was shelved in 1944, briefly revived in 1948 as "Project Orcon," then permanently cancelled when electronic guidance systems proved more practical. Skinner later wrote that the pigeons were never given the recognition they deserved, noting, "no one would take us seriously."