US Army tests ‘blood delivery’ via UAV in to improve battlefield first aid 

Blood deliveries via UAV could be a big step forward for battlefield first aid, and the fight against the clock to get their patients the care they need.

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

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.

Source: Military & Aerospace Electronics