ABSTRACT

If an event triggers Article V and NATO is drawn into defensive combat operations, there could well be more dead and wounded than the West has encountered before. Most casualties will result from combat trauma and require both surgery and blood transfusion to survive. Under NATO’s split “collective-individual” responsibility system, should national blood logistic systems be unable to deliver; and with NATO unable to exercise overall coordination, serious consequences for individual morale, the will to fight, and overall combat capability will occur, producing dire strategic outcomes. This article focusses on NATO blood supply logistics and highlights current deficiencies, using Estonian Defence Force blood supply logistics as its working example. The article’s principal argument is that blood supply logistics has “tactical-level” effects which have critical flow-on strategic effects on issues such as force preservation and morale. Blood supply logistics is a complex issue urgently requiring concerted NATO, multinational, and national attention.

摘要

如果某个事件触发了第五条并且北约被卷入防御性作战行动，那么死伤人数很可能比西方以前遇到的还要多。大多数伤亡都是由战斗创伤造成的，需要手术和输血才能生存。在北约分裂的“集体-个人”责任制下，如果国家血液后勤系统无法交付；在北约无法进行整体协调的情况下，个人士气、战斗意志和整体作战能力将出现严重后果，产生可怕的战略结果。本文重点关注北约血液供应物流并强调当前的不足，以爱沙尼亚国防军血液供应物流作为其工作示例。这篇文章的主要论点是，血液供应后勤具有“战术层面”的影响，对部队保护和士气等问题具有关键的流动战略影响。血液供应物流是一个复杂的问题，迫切需要北约、多国和国家的共同关注。