This year the Army ordered the first batch of the new HH-60M Dustoff model of the venerable Sikorsky Blackhawk helicopter. The HH-60M, a development of UH-60Q and HH-60L medical evacuation prototypes that have flown over Iraq, Afghanistan and New Orleans, boasts new engines, radios, infrared sensors, winches and an air-conditioned interior custom-designed for medics and patients. Today's medevac crews rely on old-fashioned radios; the Dustoff features Blue Force Tracker, a secure wireless network that tracks friendly forces on a digital map and relays secure instant messages from commanders, enabling crews to get to casualties quicker. The Army hopes to eventually field more than 300 Dustoffs.

The 20-ton, air-transportable, hybrid-electric Future Combat Systems ambulance being developed by General Dynamics Land Systems and BAE Systems will bring medics closer to the front lines and speed patients to surgery when bad weather or ground fire keeps the Dustoffs grounded. According to General Dynamics' Bill Riker, compact hybrid motors leave more space inside a vehicle -- space that can be used for additional patients or equipment. Plus, the hybrid ambulance's ability to generate AC power means it can support Force Tracker and two new networks for doctors and medics: Medical Communications for Combat Casualty Care and Theater Medical Information Program. These allow lifesavers to access medical records and expert advice even while under fire.

Stopping bleeding is a medic's first priority. A new tourniquet developed by the Army Medical Department and tested in Afghanistan can be applied with just one hand, letting the medic fire his weapon while he's treating a patient. Hemcon's Chitosan and Z-Medica's QuickClot are two new bandages that encourage rapid clotting. "The Chitosan bandage is made of shrimp shells and sticks to the wounded area sealing it off much like a tire patch," says Army Colonel Robert Vandre. "The QuickClot is made up of desiccant granules that physically adsorb the liquid from blood, thereby concentrating the clotting factors and encouraging rapid clotting to stop the bleeding." The tourniquet and bandages are quickly spreading throughout the military. Meanwhile, the Medical Department is trying to get FDA approval for Recombinant Activated Factor VII, a drug that medics can use to slow bleeding.