'This Is the Holy Grail of the Battlefield': Sensing a Taiwan Crisis? The 'Secret Weapon' the US Military Poured 70 Billion Won Into

In 2022, during a time when people wondered, "Would Russia really invade Ukraine?" the United States disclosed what it called a decisive clue that war was imminent: the Russian military's "blood stockpiling." The U.S. had detected signs of Russia amassing large quantities of blood through its intelligence assets, citing it as one of the clearest indicators of invasion preparations.

[Lloyd Austin / U.S. Secretary of Defense (Feb. 2022): They are sharpening their combat readiness in the Black Sea, and even stockpiling blood. You don't do these kinds of things if you are preparing to pack up and go home.]

This means that a country preparing for war prepares blood first. So, what about the United States now? Today, we look into "artificial blood," which the U.S. Department of Defense is researching with tens of millions of dollars.

1. Why Is 'Blood' So Important in War?
In war, "blood" is just as important as weapons. In particular, the U.S. military identifies hemorrhage as the leading cause of preventable death on the battlefield. This means that more lives could be saved if wounded soldiers received timely blood transfusions. According to a U.S. study analyzing casualties from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, 87% of those who died did so before reaching a medical facility. In other words, the goal is to transfuse blood within the so-called "golden hour" to save those who can be saved.

2. Is Donated Blood Not Enough?
This raises a question: Why not just collect a lot of donated blood and send it to the battlefield? However, it is not as simple as it sounds. First, blood is in short supply because fewer people are donating. Even the blood that is secured must be kept refrigerated and has a shelf life of only about 40 days. Therefore, DARPA, the research agency under the U.S. Department of Defense, launched a program called "FSHARP" in 2023. Standing for "Fieldable Solutions for Hemorrhage with bio-Artificial Resuscitation Products," it aims to develop artificial blood that can be stored at room temperature for use on the battlefield. Instead of a liquid, this blood is in powder form. It can be carried around and mixed with saline solution when needed to be transfused directly into the wounded. DARPA has poured over $46 million into a consortium of universities and companies developing this artificial blood, and recently announced that it has confirmed its efficacy in animal testing.

3. The 'Big Picture' the U.S. Military Is Looking At
There are clear hints that the U.S. military is developing this with "actual combat" in mind. Last month, a hearing was held in the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services regarding the Navy and Marine Corps' combat ships, troops, and budget. During this hearing, DARPA's artificial blood development was specifically brought up.

[Ted Budd / U.S. Senator: I recently visited DARPA and heard about the artificial blood program. What preparations is the Navy making to ensure sufficient blood supply during large-scale operations or combat situations in the Pacific?]

[Admiral Daryl Caudle / Chief of Naval Operations: I also recently visited DARPA and received the same briefing. That is FSHARP. The development of artificial blood and synthetic platelets is key to battlefield survivability, especially in securing the 'golden hour' across the vast Indo-Pacific region. That is why I have a great interest in artificial blood products. I do not believe we have reached the stage of operational deployment yet. The Defense Health Agency (DHA) also recognizes the importance of this program. Both Commandant Smith and I are interested in this issue. It is crucial to save our Navy personnel.]

The point to note here is the phrase "securing the 'golden hour' in the Indo-Pacific." This is the very "golden hour" we often refer to as the golden time. While artificial blood would be helpful on any battlefield, specifically pointing to the Indo-Pacific, where Taiwan is located, suggests they are keeping in mind a potential conflict between the U.S. and China. In fact, during last month's U.S.-China summit, President Xi Jinping warned the U.S. regarding the Taiwan issue, saying that "mishandling it could lead to conflict."

4. What If a War Breaks Out in the Taiwan Strait?
If a war were to actually break out in the Taiwan Strait, the U.S. military would have to transport troops and blood by air or sea. However, if China blocks the skies and seas, it would be difficult to fight effectively. Since reinforcing troops would not be easy, there would be a desperate need for artificial blood that can be stored at room temperature for a long time, rather than real blood that only lasts 40 days. Furthermore, having witnessed the limitations of aerial resupply in the war in Ukraine, the U.S. military has no choice but to pay closer attention to this issue.

5. "Artificial Blood Is the Holy Grail of Battlefield Medicine"
Last month, the U.S. military moved beyond the animal testing phase and entered its next project, "RAPIID," aimed at clinical trials and mass production. Building on the achievements of FSHARP, the goal is to obtain FDA approval so that it can be used on wounded soldiers in the field as early as fiscal year 2029—meaning after October 2028. Among those who emphasized the importance of artificial blood at the hearing was General Eric Smith, Commandant of the Marine Corps, who suffered gunshot wounds in an enemy ambush in Iraq in 2004. A commander who had been on the brink of death due to bleeding on the battlefield praised room-temperature blood products as a "game-changing technology for battlefield medicine."

[General Eric Smith / Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps: Room-temperature blood products are the 'holy grail' of battlefield medicine. When I was wounded in 2004, I nearly bled to death, but I survived after receiving a blood transfusion at a hospital in Baghdad. If we had room-temperature blood products available in the field, it would have been much better. This technology is the true 'holy grail' of battlefield medicine.]

Will the United States truly be able to change the "game of battlefield medicine"? We will have to wait and see what role this "new blood" will play in future conflicts around the world.

Reported by Kim Taewon | Written by Shin Hee-sook | Video by Park Woo-jin and Cha Seung-hwan | Video Editing by Kim Hye-ju | Graphics by Yook Do-hyun | Source: DVIDS, KaloCyte | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.