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

BROOMFIELD, Colo., July 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has selected BAE Systems (LON: BA) to continue development and support deployment of the Battlefield Assisted Trauma Distributed Operations Kit (BATDOK®) through the new Force Optimization through Rapid-prototyping, Gear Enhancements & Innovative Technology (FORGE-IT) program.

Together, BATDOK® and FORGE-IT will improve and modernize the capabilities of warfighters to provide medical care for wounded servicemembers on the battlefield and ensure they receive proper treatment into long-term care.

BATDOK® is an AFRL application developed with the support of BAE Systems that creates a complete and reliable record of injuries and treatments from the point of injury through recovery. Traditionally, medical care administered on the battlefield is only recorded on paper. BATDOK® records medical care electronically, ensuring the details of a patient's injury and field treatment are seamlessly transferred to the nurses and doctors providing ongoing care.

FORGE-IT will build on BATDOK®, continuing to enhance remote patient monitoring and improving medical care in the field through clinical decision support powered by embedded artificial intelligence capabilities.

"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."

Data collected by BATDOK® and FORGE-IT will be integrated into the Department of Defense's Joint Operational Medicine Information Systems (JOMIS) care delivery platform, which ensures delivery of comprehensive health services for U.S. Armed Forces patients in deployed and home station medical care facilities.

Through this integration, these systems will help clinicians deliver effective care and make sure service members' injuries are properly documented.

FORGE-IT represents the latest innovation in BAE Systems' efforts to support and protect our nation's warfighters on and off the battlefield.

About BAE Systems

BAE Systems, Inc. and its nearly 41,000 people are part of a global defense, aerospace, and security company with approximately 100,000 employees worldwide. We deliver a full range of products and services for air, land, sea and space, as well as advanced electronics, intelligence, security, and IT solutions and support services. Our dedication shows in everything we do. Inspired by the exceptional, our ambitious teams design, produce, and deliver—to protect those who protect us in a high-performance, innovative, flexible, and collaborative culture. We push the limits of possibility to provide a critical advantage to our customers where it counts.

About AFRL
The Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace forces. With a workforce spanning across nine technology areas and 40 other operations around the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit afresearchlab.com. 

For more information, please contact:

Scott Miller, BAE Systems
Mobile: 720-459-1497
[email protected]
www.baesystems.com/US
@BAESystemsInc

SOURCE BAE Systems, Inc.