LIFT Aircraft and Near Earth Autonomy have received a US Army contract to design a multi-mission payload for blood supply transport and casualty evacuations (CASEVAC).
The initiative is part of the service’s objective to address warfighter needs within the “golden hour” or critical period following trauma through a rapid, autonomous medical intervention capability, increasing survival rates of injured personnel.
The resulting solution is expected to adapt to different logistical methods to sustain resupply effectiveness in austere environments. It will be outfitted with vital sign sensors and a temperature normalizer to maintain blood quality until administration.
Work for the contract will be facilitated for one year under the Special Program Awards for Required Technology Needs, a US government small business innovation research funding effort to optimize development timelines and deliveries of future technologies for the military.
“The current practice of relying on crewed vehicles to provide blood resupply and CASEVAC in contested areas has significant challenges,” US Army Applications Laboratory Contracting Officer Maj. Rickey Royal stated.
“The Army has identified a significant need for a modular, multi-mission payload capable of climate control and telemedicine that can deploy via an autonomous aerial and/or ground platform. An autonomous solution enables speed and efficiency in casualty evacuations and delivery of medical supplies.”
‘Synergistic’ Partnership
The consortium noted that the project will involve modular medical payload transport trials using air and ground systems, including LIFT’s proprietary Hexa vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft, which have already been demonstrated for a separate innovative program under the US Air Force.
Before the design contract, Near Earth signed deals to showcase autonomy software aboard a Leonardo AW139 helicopter for the US Marine Corps and to trial a heavy VTOL resupply drone for the US Army.
“LIFT’s HEXA and Near Earth’s autonomy systems have a strong synergistic fit,” Near Earth Autonomy CEO Sanjiv Singh explained.
“We believe that our approach of combining existing, proven systems is the most efficient way to rapidly revolutionize battlefield medical support while minimizing costs and delays.”
“The sooner we demonstrate the system’s effectiveness and reliability, the sooner it can potentially be out in the field, saving lives.”
