Army hospital receives FAA approval for its Project MARS drone program

Keller Army Community Hospital (KACH), a healthcare facility located at the US Military Academy (USMA) in West Point, New York, has received authorization from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for its medical drone project.

The project, known as Project MARS (Medical Autonomous Resupply System), is intended to provide a blueprint for both streamlined garrison medical logistics and eventually field care on the battlefield.

Project MARS received a certificate of authorization (CoA) from the FAA on 8 January permitting KACH to operate visual line of sight (VLOS) drone flights across West Point for the next two years.

Following receipt of the CoA, the West Point Garrison Commander was also granted approval to transition the project from planning to active operations.

Collecting data and building a robust network

Approved flights will be required to adhere to a set of strict protocols, including only operating during daylight, staying below 400ft, and publishing a notice to airmen (NOTAM) 24 to 72 hours before flying.

KACH will use the authorization to begin confirming radio communication stability, validating pre-identified safe abort areas, and assessing environmental factors along planned flight routes.

“This is a pivotal moment for Project MARS and our vision for the future of military healthcare,” said Colonel Sean J Hipp, the Hospital Commander. “We are now officially cleared to put our training and research into practice, refining the systems that will improve the delivery of healthcare at Keller while also providing invaluable training opportunities to KACH soldiers and USMA cadets.”

Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Teague, the Officer in Charge of Project MARS, added: “Every flight will provide essential data that helps us build a robust, reliable network for autonomous medical resupply. We are moving from the lab to the landscape, ensuring our systems are prepared for the complexities of real-world environments.”

Drone firm Everdrone recently announced a partnership with the Stockholm ambulance services.