The Russian ministry of defense is planning to equip army medical units with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to supply medical aid to wounded soldiers during battle.
Drones carrying medicine and life-saving equipment will be supplied to special purpose army medical (SPAM) units and regular army medical units to search for and save the injured during operations, Izvestia revealed, citing sources. It added that the drone service will also be available for peacetime missions such as disaster rescue.
Special Purpose Army Medical Unit
A Russian army SPAM unit includes “surgical operating rooms, dressing rooms, field kitchens and baths, as well as tents for living and deploying wards for the wounded and sick.” Each unit, part of divisions and brigades, consists of a staff of 200 personnel, including doctors and surgical teams.
According to the outlet, the Russian army is considering a variety of drone types for the purpose, including “classic” UAVs as well as quadcopters. It added that the first medical drone exercises already took place during the recently concluded “bilateral maneuvers of the Southern Military District.”
Locate, Provide, Rescue
The drones are expected to help medical units locate injured soldiers in difficult terrain, assisting rescuers to find the best routes and provide information about the time necessary to reach the scene.
The drones will also assist medical personnel to get a better idea of the victim’s injury, allowing them to send the right medical supplies. It will also inform rescuers whether the injured need to be evacuated to the rear or assisted on the spot.
Likewise, during peacetime disasters, the drones will help assess the scale of the disaster and could be deployed to locate people in need of help.
