Watercraft as Overwater Ambulance Exchange Points to Enhance Aeromedical Evacuation

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel maritime medical evacuation method using watercraft as overwater ambulance exchange points, demonstrated through a military exercise involving helicopter transfers over the ocean.

Contribution

It proposes and demonstrates the use of underway watercraft as overwater ambulance exchange points, integrating decision support, stabilization, and communication technologies.

Findings

Successful transfer of a manikin between helicopters over water

Integration of satellite internet and geospatial tools for coordination

Potential civilian applications discussed

Abstract

Ambulance exchange points are preidentified sites where patients are transferred between evacuation platforms while en route to enhanced medical care. We propose a new capability for maritime medical evacuation, which involves co-opting underway watercraft as overwater ambulance exchange points to transfer patients between medical evacuation aircraft. We partner with the United States Army's 25th Combat Aviation Brigade to demonstrate the use of an Army watercraft as an overwater ambulance exchange point. A manikin is transferred between two HH-60 Medical Evacuation Black Hawk helicopters conducting hoist operations over Army Logistics Support Vessel 3, which is traveling south of Honolulu, Hawaii. The demonstration is enabled by a decision support system for dispatching aircraft, hoist stabilization technology, commercial satellite internet, military geospatial infrastructure applications, and digital medical documentation tools, the benefits of which are all discussed. Three extensions of the overwater ambulance exchange point are introduced and civilian applications are considered.