Ukraine Evacuating Wounded Soldiers With Large Drones in a Battlefield First
<p>It’s no exaggeration to say that Ukraine’s battlefield innovations will inform NATO doctrine for the next several generations.</p>
<p>Now, in what is certainly a first for the battlefield, Ukraine is evacuating its seriously wounded on large drones that have a 400lb carrying capacity.</p>
<p>A study published in February 2021 <a href="https://usaisr.health.mil/index.cfm/about/leadership/deputy_commander" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">by Lieutenant-Colonel Joseph Maddry</a> at the U.S. Army’s Institute of Surgical Research examined the records of 1,267 patients transported with traumatic injuries. At least half did not receive any life-saving intervention en route and so might have been moved safely by drone.</p>
<p>Ukraine apparently read the report and said, ‘Hold my beer.’</p>
<p><a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2023/08/04/what-ukraines-bloody-battlefield-is-teaching-medics" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">According to The Economist</a>, Ukraine has already used large cargo drones capable of carrying 180kg (400lb) loads up to 70km (43 miles!), to evacuate wounded personnel.</p>
<p>This makes Ukraine the first country to conduct this sort of automated medevac.</p>
<p>The Economist doesn’t go into any more detail leaving us to make educated guesses about how Ukraine might be executing their evacuations by drone.</p>
<p>There are only a handful of cargo drones that are capable of both lifting 400+ lbs and traveling 43 miles, which narrows down our search considerably.</p>
<p><strong>Vulcan Airlift</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://wesodonnell.medium.com/ukraine-evacuating-wounded-soldiers-with-large-drones-in-a-battlefield-first-556433ab8e87"><strong>Read More</strong></a></p>