US military looks underground to protect wounded troops as drones force changes to wartime medicine

Key Points:

• The U.S. Army conducted a large-scale medical training exercise called Operation Silver Lightning at Fort Hood, Texas, simulating battlefield injuries and medical evacuations under drone and missile attack threats to prepare for future conflicts like those in Iran and Ukraine.
• The exercise emphasized adapting military medical care to new battlefield realities, including the use of underground field hospitals to protect patients and medical personnel from drone strikes, as traditional large field hospitals are now vulnerable targets.
• Medical teams practiced rapid triage and damage control surgery in confined underground spaces, using realistic moulage and role-playing to simulate complex injuries, while also testing low-visibility tactics and alternative communication methods due to lack of cellular coverage.
• The Army is focusing on reducing electromagnetic and thermal signatures to avoid detection by enemy drones, acknowledging that future wars will lack the air superiority and safe zones enjoyed in past conflicts like Iraq and Afghanistan.
• Despite the critical need for innovation in battlefield medicine, funding remains limited as priorities favor major combat platforms, posing challenges to developing new medical technologies and protective measures essential for saving lives in modern warfare.