The Defense Ministry is in the final stages of development of drones that would deliver blood needed for emergency transfusions by IDF medics in the field and intends to begin a pilot program with a brigade operating in Gaza during the cease-fire and certainly in the case that the fighting there resumes.
The ministry's R&D of weapon's systems chose its Tzur drone for this purpose after it had already clocked thousands of operational hours and was proven to be successful in the battle field carrying out intelligence missions. The Tzur will be able to carry two types of packages, weighting 6 or 7 kilograms (13-15 lbs.) and 5-6 blood transfusions.
2 View gallery


The Tzur drone that would deliver blood transfusions to fighting units in the field
(Photo: IDF)
Loss of blood is the main cause of death among wounded soldiers and the IDF was the first military force in the world to introduce transfusions in the field, even before the war, resulting in record success. Some 7% of the soldiers who were wounded died of their wounds compared to double digits in previous wars and an even higher average in conflicts conducted by Western nations.
The drone, developed by Elbit Systems would be able to deliver blood within a critical few minutes, employing advanced technology to drop it safely where it is needed, taking into account wind and other factors.
Drone to deliver blood transfusions for wounded in the field
(IDF)
The packages will have small parachutes attached to them. "Going forward, we will be able to deliver other materials," a Defense Ministry official said. "the landing method softens the impact and prevents harm to the blood, reduces the drop's acceleration rate and improved the precision."
Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: Google Play: https://bit.ly/4eJ37pE | Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/3ZL7iNv
The delivery of blood transfusions by drones were developed for war emergency needs but could be used elsewhere, to avoid the need of transport on the ground over dangerous territory. The drone will have the ability to autonomously chose the best flight course.