BAE Systems to develop AI-powered software to improve battlefield medical care for warfighters

BAE Systems has been selected by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to advance the development and deployment of the Battlefield Assisted Trauma Distributed Operations Kit (BATDOK®) under the new Force Optimization through Rapid-prototyping, Gear Enhancements & Innovative Technology (FORGE-IT) program.

The initiative aims to enhance battlefield medical care by equipping warfighters with advanced tools to monitor, document, and deliver critical care to wounded service members, ensuring proper treatment from the point of injury through long-term recovery.

Originally developed with AFRL support, BATDOK® is a mobile application that electronically records injuries and treatments on the battlefield. It replaces the traditional paper-based system with a digital platform, enabling seamless transfer of patient information to medical teams at subsequent levels of care.

The newly launched FORGE-IT program will build upon BATDOK’s foundation by integrating embedded artificial intelligence capabilities, enhancing clinical decision support, and improving remote patient monitoring in field conditions.

“At BAE Systems, our goal has always been to protect those who protect us,” said Nathaniel Wiesner, vice president and general manager of Ground Systems & Services for BAE Systems Space & Mission Systems. “Through projects like FORGE-IT, we’re augmenting the abilities of our nation’s warfighters to provide critical medical care in high-threat scenarios and ensure that those who are wounded are given effective treatment in the field.”

The data collected by BATDOK and FORGE-IT will also be integrated into the Department of Defense’s Joint Operational Medicine Information Systems (JOMIS) platform. This integration ensures that comprehensive and accurate medical records accompany service members throughout their care — from deployed settings to home station medical facilities.

FORGE-IT represents the latest milestone in BAE Systems’ ongoing efforts to deliver innovative technologies that support and protect U.S. warfighters, both on and off the battlefield.