The Swedish Armed Forces (Försvarsmakten) and Lindholmen Science Park (Gothenburg, western Sweden) have completed the DiSH innovation project, which tested digital video support and drones to strengthen medical capability in the military healthcare chain. The project was completed in six months.
The Swedish Armed Forces state that the DiSH project (Digital Support for Higher Medical Competence in High-Intensity Combat) was carried out on behalf of the Army Chief. The project has tested, exercised, and evaluated digital technology to raise medical competence and enable the transport of medical supplies via drones in military test environments.
"DiSH is one of several projects that the Swedish Armed Forces and the Army are currently undertaking in order to practise faster development and a development process where we bring together competencies, technologies, and capabilities found in the private sector," says Filip Scheynius, unit commander at the Defence Medicine Centre (Försvarsmedicincentrum), in the Swedish Armed Forces' publication.
According to the authority, the aim has been to strengthen the Swedish Armed Forces' telemedicine capability, that is, the ability to conduct remote consultations using audio, video, and photographs, as well as data from medical technology equipment. The project has applied existing technology from the open market.
Capabilities tested include remote physician support, such as advice and prescriptions from doctors to military medics, as well as drone delivery of pharmaceuticals, blood products, and medical technology equipment. The final exercise was conducted during the NATO exercise Cold Response.
Participating units included K3 (the Swedish Armed Forces' UAS Centre), K4, the Ground Combat School (Markstridsskolan), and the Army Staff. The project was carried out at various locations during 2026.