The US Army has purchased 15 Vita Rescue Systems litter attachments (VRS-LAs) to assess them for operational effectiveness and suitability.
The systems were procured from the helicopter and crane load stabilisation and precision hardware developer and manufacturer Vita Inclinata.
To make the VRS available on tailored logistics support (TLS) contracts, Vita worked for a period of nearly one and a half years, with additional support from military equipment supplier ADS.
Vita president and CEO Caleb Carr said: “Just three years ago, Vita was speaking about a concept; a concept that PD MEDEVAC now defines as a dual-use technology for potential adoption within the Department of Defence.
“Everyone at Vita has performed relentless work to bring this capability to reality.
“We applaud the US Army for their foresight into exploring new and innovative, life-saving MEDEVAC and SAR technologies that will save the lives of Army warfighters!”
In June, the US Army tested the capability of Vita Inclinata Technologies’ Rescue System during a training exercise.
During this testing, the VRS was fitted onto an HH-60 Black Hawk helicopter and the US Army’s traditional legacy system was fitted onto another HH-60 aircraft.
For additional environmental testing, the VRS will be delivered to the US Army Aeromedical Research Lab (USAARL) in Alabama. Operational testing will take place after this evaluation.
Various US Army National Guard units and Active-Duty Combat Aviation Brigades will review the VRS for its operational user evaluation (OUE).
The aim of this testing is to discover technologies that improve the outcome of rescue missions in combat or domestic operations.
