By EMS1 Staff
HERZLIYA, Israel — An Israeli company recently developed a flying ambulance drone to send medical supplies and evacuate victims.
The Cormorant is the size of a large car and can carry up to 1,100 pounds, reported Israel National News. The drone uses internal rotors to fly up to 115 mph. Developers said the drone can be used to transport victims from a hot zone or deliver military forces and medical supplies.
Manufacturers said the drone could also be used to combat hazardous materials or decontaminate a zone.
“Just imagine a dirty bomb in a city and chemical substances of something else and this vehicle can come in robotically, remotely piloted, come into a street and decontaminate an area,” Urban Aeronautics founder and CEO Rafi Yoeli told Reuters.
After a successful solo test flight in November 2016, developers aim to have the drone approved by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. It is expected to be on the market by 2020.
“It could revolutionize several aspects of warfare, including medical evacuation of soldiers on the battlefield,” Tal Inbar, head of the UAV research center at Israel’s Fisher Institute for Air and Space Strategic Studies, said.