ARLINGTON, Va. – U.S. military researchers are approaching industry for ideas in advanced medical sensing, computers, modeling, actuation, therapeutic, and robotics technologies to improve military casualty care on the battlefield where supplies, infrastructure, and electric power is limited.
Officials of the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in Arlington, Va., issued a request for information (DARPA-SN-26-06) last week for the Advanced Technologies For Combat Casualty Care (CCC) project.
The DARPA Biological Technologies Office is asking for ideas from industry, academia, and government laboratories on the latest technologies for military casualty care in contested, resource-constrained environments.
Combat casualty care depends on rapid recognition, timely decision-making, and intervention in austere environments. Non-compressible torso hemorrhage, airway compromise, traumatic brain injury, and multi-organ shock are among the leading causes of potentially survivable battlefield deaths and complications for survivors.
Integrated systems
DARPA seeks to explore whether emerging capabilities such as computing and sensors can integrate into integrated combat casualty care systems, addressing point-of-injury care, evacuation, prolonged care, and surgical care.
Of interest are advances in digital health, bio-sensing, computational modeling involving digital twins, artificial intelligence (AI) decision support, biomaterials, drug delivery systems, and interrobotic, autonomous, and assisted interventions.
Proposed solutions should address point-of-injury care; rapid sensing and diagnosis of life-threatening conditions; predictive modeling and digital simulation; automated or semi-autonomous intervention for airway, bleeding, perfusion, and hemodynamic stabilization; and enhanced resilience under denied, degraded, or disrupted environments.
Tell me more about enabling technologies for combat casualty care ...
- Combat casualty care technologies include telemedicine to enable remote consultations with specialists, and portable diagnostic tools for rapid assessment. Advanced bandages and hemostatic agents help control bleeding, while drone delivery systems can transport medical supplies quickly to remote locations. Wearable sensors monitor vital signs and help identify life-threatening conditions early. Robotic surgery and 3D printing enable quick, precise interventions in field hospitals. Additionally, AI-powered systems assist in triage, to optimize resource allocation.
DARPA is seeking information on advanced technologies for advanced actuation and intervention technologies, including robotics; biomarker discovery and monitoring for combat casualty care; early biochemical, metabolic, or immune biomarkers for hemorrhage, shock, or hypoxia; real-time blood chemistry sensing compatible with field deployment; systems integration, autonomy and advanced experimentation for combat casualty care; human-machine teaming approaches for medics; augmented, virtual, and mixed reality guidance and training for field interventions; autonomous resuscitation concepts; interoperability and evacuation operations for medical care; and advanced functional phantoms for accelerated research and validation.
Those responding should provide technology descriptions, military relevance, performance metrics, approaches to field deployment, and key risks. DARPA strongly encourages submissions that are focused and concise, with brevity and clarity.
Companies interested should email submissions in .pdf format no later than 3 Dec. 2025 to DARPA at [email protected].
Email questions or concerns to DARPA's Roozbeh Jafari at [email protected]. More information is online at https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/c22f60aa51424ec1b63fdb9743377871/view.
