US Army seeks innovative new battlefield roles for drones
Soldiers of the 294th Medical Company transport a simulated triage patient during Exercise Northern Strike 2023. (Photo: US Army)
Drones have been providing a crucial capability to succeed in tomorrow’s warfare. To better exploit their potential, the US Army has been evaluating new use applications. The service has recently tested deployment of UAS to identify casualties on the battlefield and in disaster response scenarios.
As part of the Vision and Intelligence Systems for Medical Teaming Applications (VISTA) project, the trials conducted during the Northern Strike 2023 exercise, held in Michigan, involved the use of small UAS (sUAS) to assess from the sky the vital signs of simulated wounded soldiers on the ground.
Speaking to Shephard, a spokesperson
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