Red Cross Under Fire: The future of the Geneva Convention's Distinctive Emblem on the Future Combat System - Medical Variant Vehicle

Abstract

The Future Combat System-Medical Variant (FCS-MV) vehicle offers self defense, sensor, communication, and medical capabilities that will make it the safest and most advanced medical evacuation vehicle in history. Unfortunately, much of these capabilities will have to be eliminated or severely limited under current Army policy which requires Army medical vehicles to display the red cross. The Army should reexamine its policy on marking medical vehicles in light of the advanced protection capabilities of the FCS-MV and the realities of fourth generation warfare. When the protections provided by the Geneva Convention if the red cross is displayed are compared to the protections a fully capable FCS-MV would have if it does not display the red cross, the answer is clear, the FCS-MV should be unmarked.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 14, 2005
Accession Number
ADA464550

Entities

People

  • Randall J. Bagwell

Organizations

  • Naval War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Anti-Tank Missiles
  • Combat Vehicles
  • Communication Equipment
  • Evacuation
  • Geneva Conventions
  • Health Services
  • International Law
  • Law
  • Medical Evacuation
  • Medical Personnel
  • Military History
  • Military Operations
  • Network Centric Warfare
  • Therapy
  • United States
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Military Science
  • Systems Analysis and Design
  • Trauma or Military Medicine