Safe Ride Standards for Casualty Evacuation Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
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NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ORGANIZATION ORGANIZATION AC/323(HFM-184)TP/475 www.sto.nato.int STO TECHNICAL REPORT TR-HFM-184 Safe Ride Standards for Casualty Evacuation Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Normes de transport sans danger pour l’évacuation des blessés par véhicules aériens sans pilote) This Report documents the findings of Task Group HFM-184 (2009 – 2012), which investigated the possibility and acceptability of casualty evacuation using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Published December 2012 Distribution and Availability on Back Cover NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ORGANIZATION ORGANIZATION AC/323(HFM-184)TP/475 www.sto.nato.int STO TECHNICAL REPORT TR-HFM-184 Safe Ride Standards for Casualty Evacuation Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Normes de transport sans danger pour l’évacuation des blessés par véhicules aériens sans pilote) This Report documents the findings of Task Group HFM-184 (2009 – 2012), which investigated the possibility and acceptability of casualty evacuation using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). NOTE: Even though the authors of this Report are American, British, German, and Israeli subject-matter experts in the fields of aviation, UAS, air evacuation, and emergency care of the trauma victim, this Report does not represent the formal position of any of these governments or any portion thereof. 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Requests to do so should be sent to the address on the back cover. ii STO-TR-HFM-184 Table of Contents Page List of Figures/Tables ix Acknowledgements x HFM-184 Membership List xi Executive Summary and Synthèse ES-1 Chapter 1 – Introduction and Background 1-1 1.1 Introduction 1-1 1.2 The Utility of Aeromedical Evacuation 1-1 1.3 The Rise of UAVs 1-1 1.3.1 The Development of Cargo/Logistics UAVs 1-2 1.4 Scope of the Study 1-3 1.5 Trauma Care and the Need for Evacuation 1-4 1.6 UAVs and CASEVAC 1-5 1.7 Background to the Creation and Work of this RTG 1-5 1.8 Types of Evacuation 1-6 1.9 Possible Operational Use of UAVs for Evacuation 1-7 1.10 Objectives 1-8 1.11 Human Systems Integration 1-8 1.12 Disclaimer 1-9 1.13 Thanks 1-9 Chapter 2 – Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Enabling Technologies 2-1 2.1 Introduction 2-1 2.2 Potential Advantages of UAS 2-1 2.3 Representative Unmanned Aircraft Systems 2-2 2.3.1 Basic Considerations 2-2 2.3.2 Current/Developmental VTOL UAS 2-3 2.3.3 Future or Proposed VTOL UAS 2-7 2.3.4 Notional VTOL UAS Concepts 2-11 2.3.5 Enabling Technologies and Artifacts 2-12 2.3.5.1 Command and Control Architecture 2-12 2.3.5.2 Concept-Of-Operations (CONOPS) 2-12 2.3.5.3 Standards 2-12 2.3.5.4 Requirements Documents 2-13 2.3.5.5 Air Vehicles 2-13 2.3.5.6 Man-Rating 2-13 2.3.5.7 Sensors 2-13 STO-TR-HFM-184 iii 2.3.5.8 Command and Control (C2) 2-14 2.3.5.9 Autonomy 2-14 2.3.5.10 Medical Devices for en route Care 2-14 2.3.5.11 Summary of Mission Enablers 2-14 2.3.6 Ongoing Related Efforts 2-15 2.3.6.1 Autonomous Aerial Cargo/Utility System (AACUS) Innovative Naval 2-15 Prototype 2.3.6.2 Autonomous Technologies for Unmanned Aerial Systems (ATUAS) 2-15 Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD) 2.3.6.3 Medium Range Multi-Purpose (MRMP) VTOL UAS 2-16 2.3.6.4 Medium Range Maritime Unmanned Aerial System (MRMUAS) 2-16 2.4 Summary 2-17 Chapter 3 – Current NATO Doctrine and Policy, as it Affects the Concept 3-1 of Casualty Evacuation via UAVS 3.1 Introduction 3-1 3.2 Key NATO Doctrinal Documents 3-1 3.2.1 MC 326/3 (NATO Principles and Policies of Medical Support) 3-1 3.2.2 AJP-4.10 (B) (“Allied Joint Medical Support Doctrine” – Draft) 3-1 3.2.3 AJMEDP-2 (“Allied Joint Doctrine for Medical Evacuation”) 3-2 3.2.4 STANAG 2087 (“Medical Employment of Air Transport in the Forward Area”) 3-2 3.2.5 AMEDP-11 (“NATO Handbook on Maritime Medicine”) 3-2 3.2.6 AMEDP-38 (“Medical Aspects in the Management of a Major Incident / Mass 3-3 Casualty Situation”) 3.2.7 International Humanitarian Law 3-3 3.2.8 Other Documentation 3-4 3.3 RTO Interest in UAVs 3-4 3.4 Summary 3-5 Chapter 4 – Potential Medical Concepts for Use of UAVS in Casualty 4-1 Evacuation 4.1 Introduction 4-1 4.2 NATO and Coalition Operations 4-1 4.2.1 Concept Goals 4-2 4.2.2 Concept Details 4-2 4.2.3 Application and Scope 4-2 4.2.3.1 Assumptions 4-3 4.2.4 Operational Vignettes 4-3 Chapter 5 – Medical/Clinical Aspects/Standards for Putting People in UAVS 5-1 5.1 Introduction 5-1 5.2 Overarching Medical Standards 5-1 5.3 Catastrophic Bleeding 5-2 5.4 Airway Control 5-2 5.4.1 Breathing 5-3 iv STO-TR-HFM-184 5.5 Circulation 5-4 5.6 Disability 5-4 5.7 Exposure 5-4 5.8 Restraint and Stabilization of Spinal Injuries 5-5 5.9 MEDEVAC in Optionally Piloted Aircraft 5-5 5.10 MEDEVAC in Aircraft Designated as Unmanned Platforms 5-5 5.11 CASEVAC on UAVs 5-6 5.12 Recommended NATO UAV Flight Safety Standards 5-7 Chapter 6 – Safety and Other Operational Issues 6-1 6.1 Introduction 6-1 6.1.1 Critical Assumptions 6-1 6.1.2 Design Safety 6-1 6.1.2.1 General Requirements 6-1 6.1.2.2 Crashworthiness 6-2 6.1.2.3 Reliability 6-2 6.1.2.4 Aircraft Performance Capabilities 6-2 6.1.2.5 Environmental/Weather Safe Design Characteristics 6-2 6.1.2.6 Handling Qualities and Flight Control Laws 6-2 6.1.2.7 Intuition and Decision Making 6-2 6.1.3 Navigational Design Capability 6-3 6.1.3.1 State of the Technology – Global Positioning Systems (GPS) 6-3 6.1.3.2 Embedded-GPS and Blended Inertial Navigation Systems (INS) Systems 6-3 (Abbreviated as EGIs) 6.1.4 Unmanned Aircraft Survivability in Hostile/High Threat Areas 6-3 6.1.5 Complete Autonomy, Remotely Piloted Vehicles (RPV), Human In The Loop 6-4 (HITL) Systems and Sensors 6.1.5.1 Visual Sensors 6-4 6.1.5.2 Airspace Coordination and Integration into the Battle and National 6-4 Airspace of an Unmanned CASEVAC System 6.1.6 The Socialization of the Concept 6-5 6.1.6.1 Relinquishing the Role 6-5 6.1.6.2 Replacing the MEDEVAC Pilot 6-5 6.1.6.3 Evolution of Unmanned CASEVAC CONOPS 6-5 6.1.6.4 Contingency Missions