Advancing Military Medical Planning in Large Scale Combat Operations: Insights From Computer Simulation and...

Area of Science:

• Military Medicine
• Computational Simulation
• Disaster Management

Background:

• The Ukraine conflict highlights challenges in medical planning for multi-domain battles.
• Preventable morbidity and mortality risks necessitate optimized care from Point of Injury to Role 2 echelons.
• NATO Vigorous Warrior (VW) Live Exercise (LIVEX) is a platform for testing operational concepts and life-saving innovations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To adapt the Simulation for the Assessment and Optimization of Medical Disaster Management (SIMEDIS) software for Large-Scale Combat Operations (LSCO).
• To validate the SIMEDIS simulator using realistic data from the NATO VW LIVEX.
• To identify gaps in current medical concepts of operations for LSCO.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the NATO VW LIVEX to adapt and validate the SIMEDIS computational simulator.
• Employed an all-hazards approach to simulate evolving injury patterns and resource scarcity.
• Modeled casualty health progressions, mortality factors (e.g., hemorrhage control, transport policy), and resource scalability.

Main Results:

• SIMEDIS can define battlefield scenarios for diverse threats including CBRNe attacks.
• Mortality is computed based on Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) principles and evacuation strategies.
• Optimized medical operations and enhanced interoperability through data sharing for prospective planning.

Conclusions:

• VW LIVEX serves as a platform for SIMEDIS refinement and medical planning insights.
• The study recommends further validation at other NATO LIVEXs.
• Information sharing across NATO is crucial for establishing best practice standards in battlefield medical planning.