JERUSALEM, Aug. 7 (UPI) -- The Israeli army's medical corps wants drones to evacuate wounded troops and drop supplies to soldiers in the battlefield, the army said.
For some time, the army has been searching for an unmanned aircraft capable of reaching troops on the ground in varied locations, including urban settings and at sea, Lt. Col. Gil Hirshorn, a doctor who heads the corps' trauma unit, was quoted saying on the army's Hebrew language Web site.
Hirshorn said the medical corps believes drones fill the bill and said the army is considering buying the Mule, an unmanned aircraft developed by the Israeli company Urban Aeronautics.
The specific model being considered has room for two soldiers lying down, Hirshorn said. It has vertical take-off capabilities, and can ferry cargo and passengers in and out of constricted areas. It can fly via global positioning system satellite coordinates to designated areas and land at locations selected by beacon-bearing spotters, the company said.
The Aviation International News Web site said the Mule requires 500 pounds of fuel to carry a 500-pound payload on a two-hour mission and has a maximum airspeed of 100 knots.
