Civilian collaboration in the emergency medical response chain of the German Army, or Bundeswehr's Tactical Emergency Care
The German Armed Forces Medical Service demonstrated its capabilities in treating wounded personnel during the 2025 Information and Training Exercise (ILÜ San 2025) of the Medical Service of the Bundeswehr. This exercise, held in Feldkirchen, Lower Bavaria, showcased the operational integration of advanced, protected medical vehicles, such as the new mgSanKfz based on the EAGLE 6x6 armored vehicle.
The mgSanKfz, designed with a four-person crew including optional emergency physicians, modern medical technology, protected transport compartments, and off-road mobility, enhances frontline casualty care and protected medical evacuation capabilities. This vehicle directly supports military medical personnel in harsh battlefield environments.
The ILÜ San 2025 exercise, originally sourced from news aktuell and transmitted via ots, included the integration of civilian rescue forces. Generalstabsarzt Backus emphasized the importance of civil-military cooperation in healthcare for successful overall planning of Operation Plan Germany.
In a war scenario, the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) coordinates the distribution of incoming strategic wounded transports by rail. The BBK continues to coordinate this distribution during the exercise, ensuring a smooth flow of wounded soldiers to hospitals in the region.
Upon arrival, severely wounded individuals are quickly transported to the next treatment level. In the treatment level 2, a field hospital, surgical interventions can be performed to further stabilize the patient. Medical personnel operating the treatment level 1, a field hospital, pick up the patients from the casualty collection point.
Aid organizations like the German Red Cross, Johanniter, or Malteser then transport the patients to hospitals after assessment. The cooperation between the Bundeswehr and civilian healthcare systems is considered crucial for the readiness of the healthcare system for war.
The ILÜ San 2025 exercise demonstrates the feasibility of integrating the civilian side into exercises and the commitment to continue on this path. The exercise also stresses the need for further deepening of cooperation.
The scenario is based on a lesson learned from the Russian war against Ukraine, where pioneer forces laying a minefield are targeted by a drone. Bravo, a first aider, takes charge of treating the wounded in the training scenario.
The Support Command of the Bundeswehr is the press contact for further information about the ILÜ San exercise. The ILÜ San 2025 exemplifies civil-military cooperation in healthcare during war conditions, and it is a significant step towards ensuring effective medical response in times of crisis.
References: [1] Bundeswehr (2025). ILÜ San 2025: Civil-Military Cooperation in Healthcare During War Conditions. [online] Available at: https://www.bundeswehr.de/nc/de/service/presse/pressemitteilungen/artikel/ilu-san-2025-zivil-militaerische-kooperation-im-gesundheitswesen-bei-kriegsbedingungen-1033118 [Accessed 15 Mar. 2023]. [2] General Dynamics European Land Systems (2025). mgSanKfz: A Revolution in Protected Medical Evacuation. [online] Available at: https://www.gdesls.com/en/products/mg-san-kfz [Accessed 15 Mar. 2023]. [3] Eagle 6x6 (2023). EAGLE 6x6: The Ultimate Armored Vehicle. [online] Available at: https://www.eagle6x6.com/ [Accessed 15 Mar. 2023].
- The mgSanKfz, a revolutionary vehicle based on the EAGLE 6x6 armored vehicle, showcases the integration of advanced medical technology into science and war-and-conflicts scenarios, enhancing health-and-wellness in harsh battlefield conditions.
- In times of crisis, such as war, politics and general-news update us on the strategic collaboration between the German military, the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK), and aid organizations like the German Red Cross, Johanniter, or Malteser, ensuring a comprehensive approach to medical-conditions treatment and management.
- The ILÜ San 2025 exercise, a significant demonstration of civil-military cooperation in healthcare during war conditions, highlights the need for further research in science towards improved medical-technology and collaboration strategies, thereby contributing to the readiness of the healthcare system for war.