Rheinmetall to supply Ukraine with two Forward Surgical Team stations

23 June, 2023 The work of surgeons in the field operating room. Illustrative photo The German defense company Rheinmetall has received an order for Forward Surgical Team stations for Ukraine.

The news was made public on the company's official website. The EUR8 million contract provides for the manufacture and supply of two Forward Surgical Team (FST) systems from the Rheinmetall company to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. The first system is due to be delivered to the Armed Forces of Ukraine in late 2023, and the second - at the beginning of 2024.

The two systems have been acquired within the framework of the "Enable & Enhance" Initiative of the German government.

Forward Surgical Team

FSTs are intended for damage control surgery, or DCS. They enable lifesaving procedures to be carried out very quickly on badly wounded soldiers close to the frontline of the battlefield. Patients are stabilized and prepared for being transported to other medical units in the rear for further treatment in field hospitals or stationary facilities.

Highly mobile, Forward Surgical Teams are swiftly ready to operate due to the short set-up times - and to jump at short notice in response to shifting front lines. A sheltered FST system comprises three sets of vehicles, each consisting of a truck, a trailer and a total of six containers, which remain truck- and trailer-mounted even during operation.

A model of the Forward Surgical Team system by the Rheinmetall company

When deployed, the containers, being interconnected and expandable, include a reception and triage area, an x-ray shelter, a preoperative unit and an operation shelter as well as an intensive care unit. The system has all the necessary equipment and systems for fully autonomous operation for 48 hours: it is equipped with a generator and a water tank, the supply container allows the turnkey system to operate independently.

In October last year, Rheinmetall also received a contract from the German government to supply the Ukrainian military with a modern mobile hospital with a total cost of 9 million euros.

Its production and delivery are scheduled for 2023.

An illustrative scheme of tents and containers.

Photo credits: Zeppelin Mobile Systeme GmbH

The system includes an emergency room, triage room, operating room, intensive care unit, computed tomography, sterilization facility and pharmacies.