LIFT Aircraft selected by US Army for blood delivery system
October 1, 2024
Texas-based LIFT Aircraft has been awarded a contract by the US Army Applications Laboratory (AAL) to design a medical multi-mission modular system capable of transporting blood products and enabling casualty evacuations.
Part of the Special Program Awards for Required Technology Needs (SPARTN) programme, which aims to optimise small business integration by reducing the time and contract to payment, the project has arisen from the Army’s desire to embrace autonomous aerial technology in contested areas traditionally served by crewed vehicles.
Whether used to transport blood for transfusion or evacuate casualties, the modular payload must be “capable of climate control and telemedicine that can deploy via an autonomous aerial and/or ground platform,” explained Major Rickey Royal. With timing of the essence to both missions – with medical intervention administered within the so-called ‘golden hour’ greatly improving patient outcomes – “an autonomous solution enables speed and efficiency,” added Royal.
The company will collaborate with Near Earth Autonomy, leveraging the latter’s technological expertise in enabling uncrewed flight. With experience of several autonomous aerial systems for medical logistics, “we believe that our approach of combining existing, proven systems is the most efficient way to rapidly revolutionize battlefield medical support while minimizing cost and delays,” said Near Earth Autonomy CEO Sanjiv Singh.
Near Earth plan to develop, test and demonstrate the system over the next 12 months. At the culmination of the contract, LIFT will demonstrate the modular medical payload being transported by air and ground vehicles, including its own Hexa platform.
LIFT Aircraft has previously been awarded contracts through the US Air Force’s Agility Prime programme to continue development of its single-seat Hexa aircraft. “Our selection for this [new] project underscores our readiness to expand into broad defense applications,” commented LIFT founder and CEO Matt Chasen, who is confident that “this collaboration…will ultimately save lives”.
