by Maytal Yasur Beit-Or
IDF's desire to provide wounded soldiers with quality medical care even behind enemy line drives innovation, Medical Corps official says • Glider is designed to carry up to 110 pounds of medical supplies, has precision landings, stealth abilities.
A sketch of the new glider
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Photo credit: IDF Spokesperson's Unit  |
The IDF's Medical Corps has collaborated with
the Israel Institute of Technology on the development of an innovative
glider that could save lives on the battlefield, Israel Hayom learned
Wednesday.
The "medical" glider is designed to carry up
to 50 kilograms (110 pounds) of medical supplies, such as blood
transfusions, which must be kept at a controlled temperature,
antibiotics, intubation kits, and more.
The glider can cover a distance of 20
kilometers (12 miles) within eight minutes. It is 3.5 meters (11 feet)
long and its wingspan stretches 4 meters (13 feet). The glider was
designed with collapsible wings so if necessary, it could be launched
from a plane. It also has relatively low production costs, which stand
at tens of thousands of dollars a unit.
"The glider won't eliminate the need to
evacuate [wounded] soldiers, but it will allow us to bring the hospital
to the patients and carry out evacuations in a more considered, calm
manner, and deliver soldiers to the hospital in better condition," Maj.
Dr. Dean Nachman of the Medical Corps explained.
"Administrating a blood transfusion is a
lifesaving measure, and troops on prolonged deployment can't exactly
carry a fridge with blood supplies with them. Also, no solution has been
devised at this time for cases like mass-casualty events, where there
is a shortage of equipment in the field."
Nachman further explained that "the
understanding that we need to provide [soldiers] with the best possible
treatment even in enemy territory, prompted us to approach the Technion
and designed the glider. Requirements included precision landing
abilities, as well as stealth abilities, because naturally, we don't
want the glider to lead the enemy to us. This is why a flat design,
which can elude radars, was selected.
"Several key aeronautical aspects are still
being discussed, but we're already seeing excellent capabilities and we
hope the glider could provide a solution in the foreseeable future."
Dr. Isaac Kadushin of the Aerospace
Engineering Faculty at the Technion Israel Institute of Technology, who
participated in the project, said, "I was approached by the Medical
Corps with a situation where soldiers on missions can't carry medical
supplies. We chose a glider because it's low-maintenance compared to
drones and multicopters, which have engines, as well as over the fact
that it's cost-effective."
Kadushin noted that "the glider effectively crash-lands on the ground, because the troops can't carry it back with them."
The Medical Corps plans to pursue the development of
remote telemedicine systems, which would use telecommunication and
information technology to consult with medical experts regarding
treatment options in the field.
Maytal Yasur Beit-Or
Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=38605
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