Iran strikes exposed gaps in medical evacuation ops across Middle East: IG

A U.S. Defense Department inspector-general report found that the Iranian drone and missile threat forced major changes to medical evacuation arrangements during Operation Epic Fury. Army medical-evacuation helicopters initially available in Kuwait and Iraq were moved after Iranian strikes, and most subsequent evacuations were conducted by ground, including local ambulances, with fixed-wing aircraft used for higher levels of care outside the theatre. U.S. forces also relied on host-nation hospitals because deploying large American hospital facilities would have created a more visible and targetable footprint. The report recommends identifying gaps in counter-drone interoperability and standardising corrective action across the force.