Photo: CCTV

China's Air Force Medical University has developed what it describes as the military's first casualty-search drone and made progress in using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to administer emergency medication to wounded personnel from a distance, state broadcaster CCTV reported Wednesday.

"We have developed the military's first casualty-search drone, and have also made some breakthroughs in treatment. For example, we can use drones to inject medication into wounded personnel from a considerable distance," Wang Jianqi, a representative of Air Force Medical University, was quoted as saying in the report. 

"Wherever our drone can fly, we can deliver life-saving emergency medication into a wounded person's muscle, buying valuable time for treatment," he said.

The development comes as unmanned equipment is being adapted to a broader range of battlefield medical tasks, including locating casualties, delivering medical supplies and potentially transporting wounded personnel to field hospitals or designated medical facilities.

Military commentator Song Zhongping told the Global Times on Wednesday that the changing nature of modern warfare has made battlefield medical rescue increasingly challenging, as the distinction between the front lines and the rear has become less clear.

"One of the biggest problems in modern warfare is that it has blurred the concept of the front lines and the rear. The two have even merged into one, meaning that the areas where casualties may occur have become extremely extensive," Song told the Global Times.

He cited the Russia-Ukraine conflict and conflicts in the Middle East as examples, saying attacks can take place in areas far beyond what would traditionally be considered the front lines, making the distribution of casualties less predictable.

Against this backdrop, drones can help deliver medication and medical supplies to wounded personnel in areas that are difficult or dangerous for rescue teams to reach in time, Song said.

"The drone-based injection of medication is essentially an extension of using drones to deliver medicine. It helps ensure that wounded personnel on the battlefield receive initial treatment," he said. In the video, a UAV can be seen releasing a dart toward a soldier lying on the ground. 

In traditional battlefield rescue operations, medical personnel often have to expose themselves to considerable danger to reach wounded personnel. The use of unmanned equipment could reduce the need for medical teams to enter high-risk areas, while also helping stabilize casualties before evacuation, Song said.

"Some wounded personnel at the front lines need pain relief before they can be moved back," Song said. "If drones and other unmanned equipment are used to transport them, it is also necessary to stabilize their condition in advance, so that no secondary danger arises during transportation."

He added that the approach could also be useful in civilian emergency response, particularly in areas affected by landslides, collapsed roads or rivers that prevent rescue teams from reaching people in need.

"Using drones to transport people or deliver medication into such areas is a relatively good approach," Song said, adding that unmanned equipment could help address urgent rescue needs without exposing helicopters and their crews to the same level of risk.

However, the development of unmanned medical rescue still faces technical challenges. 

According to Wang, air-ground unmanned treatment remains at an exploratory stage, with researchers still working to overcome key technological difficulties, including how to retrieve and load wounded personnel onto drones for evacuation.

Other Chinese military medical units have also been exploring the use of unmanned systems in battlefield rescue training. 

In a drill organized by the PLA Joint Logistic Support Force's 967th Hospital, a thermal-imaging drone was used to locate simulated casualties, while smaller cargo drones and robotic dogs delivered emergency medical supplies to areas inaccessible to conventional rescue vehicles, the PLA Daily reported in October. 

Robotic dogs were also used to enter narrow passages and transmit information about casualties and surrounding conditions, according to the report.