Army tests blood delivery via unmanned aircraft in bid to improve battlefield first aid and save lives
FORT PICKETT, Va. – U.S. Army leaders are trying to bolster battlefield first aid by delivering life-saving blood to medics in the field via unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Task & Purpose reports. Continue reading original article
The Military & Aerospace Electronics take:
18 Nov. 2021 -- In August, a team of Army researchers worked with tech companies Near Earth Autonomy and L3Harris Technologies to demonstrate an unmanned aircraft delivering whole blood to a landing zone at Fort Pickett, Va.
It was not clear if the drone actually was carrying blood, but the drone nonetheless showed off its ability to fly over the landing zone, scan the terrain for a suitable place to touch down, and then come to a smooth stop in the field.
If the landing zone was too cluttered to land, the drone just dropped the blood delivery off from a low-altitude hover, or released transport pods via parachute.
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John Keller, chief editor
Military & Aerospace Electronics
