Leveraging Federated Satellite Systems for Unmanned Medical Evacuation on the Battlefield

This paper evaluates the role of federated satellite systems (FSSs) in enhancing unmanned vehicle-supported military medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) missions. An FSS integrates multiple satellite systems, thus improving imaging and communication capabilities compared with standalone satellite systems. A simulation model is developed for a MEDEVAC mission where the FSS control of an unmanned aerial vehicle is distributed across different countries. The model is utilized in a simulation experiment in which the capabilities of the federated and standalone systems in MEDEVAC are compared. The performance of these systems is evaluated by using the most meaningful metrics, i.e., mission duration and data latency, for evacuation to enable life-saving procedures. The simulation results indicate that the FSS, using low-Earth-orbit constellations, outperforms standalone satellite systems. The use of the FSS leads to faster response times for urgent evacuations and low latency for the real-time control of unmanned vehicles, enabling advanced remote medical procedures. These findings suggest that investing in hybrid satellite architectures and fostering international collaboration promote scalability, interoperability, and frequent-imaging opportunities. Such features of satellite systems are vital to enhancing unmanned vehicle-supported MEDEVAC missions in combat zones.