This U.S. Army Helicopter Drone Could Evacuate Wounded Soldiers

[SZonian]

Military drones aren't just for attack or surveillance. If the U.S. Army has its way, its medics could soon call on unmanned helicopters to evacuate the wounded to nearby aid stations.

The U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command is looking at the Dragonfly Pictures, Inc. DP-14 Hawk as a possible alternative to traditional helicopters for casualty evacuation. The DP-14 Hawk is a twin-rotor helicopter that looks like a miniature CH-47 Chinook. Small enough to fit in a utility van, it can be assembled and ready to fly in just thirty minutes.

Once operational, the Hawk has a cruise speed of about 82 miles an hour and can carry payloads of up to 430 pounds for up to 2.4 hours. Hawk can complete a mission autonomously, relying on internal navigation systems to get from one point to another—even without GPS.

[excerpted]

http://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/a25835/the-us-army-could-evacuate-wounded-by-flying-drone/

[bolobaby]

This is a reasonable idea, but could potentially lead to many more POWs as wounded soldiers would have a hard time defending themselves alone it the drone went down.

It's a risk reward situation.

[EC]

This is a reasonable idea, but could potentially lead to many more POWs as wounded soldiers would have a hard time defending themselves alone it the drone went down.

It's a risk reward situation.

Use them in conjunction. Armed choppers to evac to a secured half way point, then the drones for the rest of the trip. It'd significantly speed up getting casualties off the front line.

[geronl]

Put weapons on it, for urban warfare it can look into the windows of buildings. or make holes to look into. Maybe even drop off unmanned ground command vehicles behind enemy lines.

[geronl]

Use them in conjunction. Armed choppers to evac to a secured half way point, then the drones for the rest of the trip. It'd significantly speed up getting casualties off the front line.

Some kind of Rear Operating Base?

[EC]

Some kind of Rear Operating Base?

Normally have a quick fuel/ammo dump setup closer to the action than where we actually sleep. Unload the wounded there. Seems like a no brainer - we could dump the casualties and head back before they all got loaded into the drones. Probably save some limbs, if not lives.

[geronl]

Normally have a quick fuel/ammo dump setup closer to the action than where we actually sleep. Unload the wounded there. Seems like a no brainer - we could dump the casualties and head back before they all got loaded into the drones. Probably save some limbs, if not lives.

Sounds like a good idea.