A NATO-Russia war would be bloodier than Ukraine, where 'golden hour' is already gone, officer says

"Drones are watching much of the front line, making it nearly impossible to get wounded troops access to medical care within the "golden hour," the critical first 60 minutes after a severe injury when access to medical care may determine life or death. Golden hour is found only in books, said Ukrainian Col. Valerii Vyshnivskyi, the country's senior representative to the NATO-Ukraine Joint Analysis Training and Education Centre (JATEC). "It does not exist," he said."

"The sky above the battlefield is filled with drones of all types executing both reconnaissance and strike missions. That saturation means Ukrainians often have to wait for unfavorable weather conditions and poor visibility to evacuate casualties. Some solutions, such as ground robots, are becoming more popular, but those systems aren't without their problems. They are vulnerable to attack, they break down, and they are susceptible to jamming."

"NATO forces would likely see heavier losses than Ukraine has in a war with Russia, a senior officer told Business Insider, and that possibility is driving a rethink of battlefield medical care. In a high-intensity conflict against Russia, NATO forces would probably face the same casualty evacuation issues that Ukraine is dealing with, Vyshnivskyi said. However, he believes the military alliance would suffer heavier combat losses, as such a war has the potential to be significantly more destructive."

Drones saturate the battlefield, conducting reconnaissance and strike missions that make casualty evacuation within the traditional golden hour nearly impossible. Wounded troops often wait for unfavorable weather or poor visibility windows before they can be moved, turning the golden hour into a golden day or month. Ground robots and unmanned systems are being used for casualty retrieval but face vulnerability to attack, mechanical failure, and electronic jamming. In a high-intensity war with Russia, NATO forces would likely confront the same evacuation constraints and could suffer even heavier combat losses. The alliance is therefore examining new medical evacuation concepts and technologies to save lives.

Read at Business Insider