Future operational environments will be significantly more complex and complicated when compared to previous.
The next global conflict will:
- involve large scale combat operations,
- involve near-peer adversaries,
- have widely dispersed personnel,
- be in multiple environments
- remote, austere, and hostile
- involve precision munitions and drones, and potentially CBRN weapon systems,
- be across increased operational distances,
- involve multiple domains
- land, air, sea, littoral, space, cyber, and electromagnetic zones
- be in extremely challenging locations
- desert, alpine, jungle, archipelagos, urban, and sub-Arctic.
These expanded battlefields will be increasingly lethal and hyperactive.
Traditional combat health support infrastructure would be easily be overwhelmed.
High casualty numbers will be expected in short periods during times of active conflict secondary to precision munitions, directed energy, unmanned vehicles, and weapons of mass destruction.
The ability of near-peer adversaries to target electromagnetic and heat signatures increases vulnerability from traditional healthcare evacuation platforms (i.e. aeromedical evacuation) facilities.
Increasing range of adversary weapon systems will force traditional healthcare facilities to be located further from the frontline.
Evacuation of casualties will be delayed as aeromedical evacuation becomes more challenging.
Prolonged medical care in the battlefield will become a requirement.
Replenishment of depleted supplies will also become challenging.
Expeditionary medical and surgical support will be essential as the terrain of conflict changes.
Greater numbers of non-medical personnel will be required to perform more advanced medical care closer to the front line.