Drones Deliver Lifesaving Blood in U.S. Army’s Frontline Medical Drill

In a recent multinational exercise, U.S. Army medics used drones to deliver blood to frontline troops rapidly, significantly reducing transport time and risk to personnel. This move could change battlefield medicine in future wars.

The innovation was tested during Swift Response 2025, a large-scale mobility and airborne exercise across the Baltic and Arctic involving forces from Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, and Sweden. Soldiers with the 173rd Airborne Brigade employed drones to carry blood three to four kilometers — a task that traditionally required five troops and up to 30 minutes in a field ambulance.

Using drones cuts delivery time to just four minutes.

“The difference is someone dying and someone not,” said 1st Sgt. Cyril Clayton, the brigade’s senior medic. “We’ve cut [risk] from probably five [personnel] to two.”

Previously, medics parachuted with blood, but maintaining its required low temperatures posed logistical challenges, and hard landings risked damaging the blood’s cells. During this exercise, personnel packed whole blood into insulated Collins Boxes and loaded it onto drones for quick, stable delivery.

Blood viability was a significant concern. High-speed transport subjects the blood to G-forces and temperature shifts. However, results from the exercise suggest drone delivery can preserve both safety and speed.

“This was a stepping stone,” said Maj. David Hourani, a brigade surgeon. “The next goal is drone evacuation of patients.”

Blood loss remains the leading cause of preventable death in combat. As the Army prepares for high-casualty conflicts with limited air evacuation, drone delivery of blood — and potentially wounded troops — could be a life-saving shift in battlefield logistics.

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