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Army Enlists Personal eVTOL Manufacturer for Casualty Evacuation

U.S. Army Applications Laboratory asks Lift Aircraft, manufacturer of the ultralight Hexa, to design a system for moving blood and injured personnel.

Jack Daleo

Friday, October 04, 2024 at 01:55 PM ET

Verified

Edited By: tccjeremy

A concept visual illustrates what Lift’s autonomous medical logistics system may look like. [Courtesy: Lift Aircraft]

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. Army has contracted Lift Aircraft and Near Earth Autonomy to develop an autonomous, climate-controlled payload system for blood resupply and casualty evacuations (CASEVAC).
This system aims to reduce reliance on crewed vehicles in contested areas by integrating with self-flying or self-driving platforms to swiftly deliver medical aid.
The collaboration will utilize a specially designed version of Lift's Hexa Cargo aircraft and plans to develop, test, and demonstrate the autonomous medical payload system within the next 12 months.

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The manufacturer of a personal electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft that requires no pilot certificate to fly has been enlisted by the U.S. Army to build what it believes could be a lifesaving system.

The Army Applications Laboratory (AAL) this week awarded a contract to Austin, Texas-based Lift Aircraft to design a container that can carry blood supply and perform casualty evacuations (CASEVAC). Crucially, the design will need to integrate with self-flying or self-driving vehicles.

Jack Daleo

Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.