The US Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine (USAFSAM), a centre for aerospace medical learning and consultation, has starting training medics to attend Covid-19 patients. Medics are being trained at Joint Base Charleston in South Carolina on the use of Transport Isolation System (TIS) and in transporting Covid-19 patients in military cargo aircraft. The TIS …

The post USAFSAM starts training medics to attend Covid-19 patients appeared first on Army Technology.

The US Army is assembling a field hospital with 250 beds at the CenturyLink Event Center in Seattle for the treatment of non-Covid-19 patients. Expected to open next week, the army field hospital will enable local hospitals to free up their beds for people infected with Covid-19. US Army Colonel Hope Williamson-Younce said: “We have …

The post US Army assembles hospital in Seattle for non-Covid-19 patients appeared first on Army Technology.

In the UK The government will write off £13.4bn of historic debt owed by hospital trusts to the NHS, Matt Hancock announced in a press conference last night. The health secretary, in his first public appearance since self-isolating with symptoms of Covid-19, also pledged £300m of government money to be made available for community pharmacies.The NHS has …

The post Government and Policy Updates from the New Statesman appeared first on Army Technology.

The UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) has mobilised 3,000 reservists to assist the UK Armed Forces Covid-19 support force. At the moment the MOD has only called up reservists with specialised skills that can assist civilian authorities in fighting the spread of the pandemic in the UK. Minister for the Armed Forces James Heappey said: …

The post UK MOD mobilises reservists for COVID Support Force appeared first on Army Technology.

Airbus facilities in Spain have begun 3-D printing hospital visors to provide to frontline healthcare workers working in the fight against the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic. Airbus said it has already manufactured hundreds of visors, using over 20 3-D printers across its sites in Spain. Head of Airbus Protospace Alvaro Jara said: “One of the reasons …

The post Airbus to produce 3D-printed hospital visors appeared first on Army Technology.

With the UK in the relatively early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic, a substantial level of uncertainty surrounds the country’s defense budget in the coming years. Budget predictions are frequently based on GDP projections and government statistics on spending, the updates of which only precipitate further into a crisis such as Covid-19. Subsequently, it is …

The post How will Covid-19 affect UK defence spending? appeared first on Army Technology.

The Australian Government has paused the 2020 Marine Rotational Force – Darwin (MRF-D) deployment due to the ongoing restrictions associated with the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. Australia and the US plan to devise options for a possible deployment in the future. This is subject to an improvement in the virus containment situation and the viability of …

The post Australia halts Marine Rotational Force deployment due to Covid-19 appeared first on Army Technology.

The Commanding Officer of aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt Captain Brett Crozier has called for the US Navy to take decisive action to protect the crew of the Covid-19 coronavirus-stricken carrier. In a leaked letter seen by Naval Technology, Crozier said: “There are political challenges associated with securing individualised lodging for our crew. This will …

The post USS Roosevelt CO calls for evacuation of coronavirus-hit ship appeared first on Army Technology.

Hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) has started treating the first patients in Los Angeles in support of the US response efforts to contain the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. While in LA, the USNS ship will continue to serve as a referral hospital for non-Covid-19 patients currently admitted to shore-based hospitals. The vessel will provide a …

The post Hospital ship USNS Mercy begins treatment of first patients in LA appeared first on Army Technology.

In the UK, a lethal pandemic was considered by the government a “level 5” threat – the most serious security risk. The only other level 5 threat has been large-scale biological or nuclear attack. The coronavirus closely resembles the threat anticipated in government planning documents, and yet the government appears to have been unprepared. The …

The post Why wasn’t the UK ready for Covid-19? appeared first on Army Technology.