SEPTEMBER 17, 2025 – The 2025 Military Health System Research Symposium featured an in-depth plenary panel on “Drone Warfare and the New Resilience Paradigm” Aug. 4, featuring speakers from Ukraine’s military health system, the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, the United States Indo-Pacific Command, the Defense Health Agency’s Joint Trauma System, and civilian health care organizations.
Dr. Terry Rauch, director of research and development for the Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for Health Affairs, moderated the panel with Army Col. (Dr.) John Holcomb, professor of surgery at the Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, Maryland.
“As professional scientists and innovators, we’re tasked with preparing for the evolving character of war,” said Holcomb. He noted that millions of drones are in production, with thousands already flying.
Evolving physical threats
Ukrainian armed forces Col. (Dr.) Kostiantyn Gumeniuk, chief surgeon for medical forces, said expensive armored equipment can be disabled by drones. He noted today’s Ukrainian medics now treat amputations, severe tissue damage, and burns from missiles, chemical weapons, and drones — urging researchers to address more severe injuries.
“Today’s war is a war of drones, so we need to develop a new surgical tactic for these kinds of injuries,” he said.
Ukrainian Maj. (Dr.) Dmytro Samofalov, acting head of the health department, Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, added that drones are changing the geography of war — putting civilians, ambulances, and hospitals at risk. He shared examples where civilian ambulances, drivers, and paramedics have been targeted and struck by enemy drones.
He said, “Even being [away from the] frontlines, you are still not safe. A lot of our military guys who [have been] in [secure] positions who thought they were safe [have been] wounded by drones.”
Psychological toll
Dr. Oleh Berezyuk, director, psychological direction and psychosocial rehabilitation, Unbroken, First Medical Union Hospital Lviv, Ukraine, described the “sharp, drastic increase in military and civilian personnel suffering from psychological effects of drone warfare”. He said that 70% of patients are reporting signs of burnout, 38% have posttraumatic stress disorder, and 11% have suicidal ideation.
Dr. Amy Adler, clinical research psychologist and senior scientist with WRAIR’s Center for Military Psychiatry and Neuroscience in Silver Spring, Maryland, noted acute stress reactions, or “freezing” in action, are a “normal, understandable response to a traumatic stressor” likely to increase with the growing threat of drone attacks.
Adler identified a peer-support tool called “iCOVER” developed by WRAIR and the Israeli Defense Forces. The tool helps teammates guide someone through a reaction by naming “what [has] happened, what is happening, what will happen,” she said, before requesting a simple action to break paralysis. She emphasized that this is one of many tools in development designed to support the psychological health of warfighters and providers facing mounting drone threats.
Future of drone warfare
Navy Capt. (Dr.) Peter Roberts, command surgeon, USINDOPACOM, explained that drones could be vital for biothreat surveillance, battle damage assessment, and sea-to-shore kit delivery. However, he urged researchers to address limitations due to cost concerns, payload and range restrictions, autonomy, and weather resilience.
Panelists agreed on several priorities to prepare warfighters and mitigate the impact of drone warfare:
- Improve training, including advanced trauma life support for medics managing complex battlefield injuries
- Better prepare for attacks on non-combatant targets as drones slip past the frontlines of conflict
- Prioritize mental health, by offering real-time counseling on the frontlines and better training in diagnosis, stress management, and self-regulation
- Simulate realistic stressors during training
Army Col. (Dr.) Jennifer Gurney, chief, DHA’s Joint Trauma System, emphasized that “technology will indeed punish the unskilled on the next battlefield.” She also encouraged participants to study resilience, saying, “How can we come home stronger? Saving lives with your team makes you stronger.”
Courtesy Story
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs/Military Health System