'This Is the Holy Grail of the Battlefield': Sensing a Taiwan Crisis? The US Military's 'Secret Weapon' Funded with 70 Billion Won

In 2022, a time when people wondered, "Would Russia really invade Ukraine?" the United States disclosed what it called a decisive clue that war was imminent. It was the Russian military's "blood stockpiling." The U.S. had used intelligence assets to detect signs of Russia amassing large quantities of blood, pointing to it as one of the clearest signals of preparation for an invasion.

[Lloyd Austin / US Secretary of Defense (Feb. 2022): We see them sharpen their readiness in the Black Sea. We even see them stocking up their blood supplies. You know, I was a soldier myself not that long ago, and I know firsthand that you don't do these sort of things for no reason, and you certainly don't do them if you're getting ready to pack up and go home.]

This means that a country preparing for war prepares blood first. So, what about the United States now? Today, we look into "artificial blood," which the U.S. Department of Defense is spending tens of millions of dollars to research.

1. Why Is 'Blood' So Important in War?
In war, "blood" is just as important as weapons. In particular, the U.S. military identifies hemorrhage (severe bleeding) as the leading cause of preventable death on the battlefield. This means that if wounded soldiers receive timely blood transfusions, many more lives can be saved. According to a U.S. study analyzing casualties from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, 87% of those who died passed away before even reaching a medical facility. In other words, the goal is to transfuse blood within the so-called "golden hour" to save those who can be saved.

2. Is Donated Blood Alone Not Enough?
This raises a question: Why not just gather plenty of blood donations and send them to the battlefield? However, this is not as easy as it sounds. First of all, blood itself is in short supply because people are donating less and less. Even when blood is secured, it must be kept refrigerated and has a shelf life of only about 40 days. That is why DARPA, a research agency under the U.S. Department of Defense, launched a program called "FSHARP" in 2023. Standing for "Fieldable Solutions for Hemorrhage with bio-Artificial Resuscitation Products," the program aims to develop artificial blood that can be stored at room temperature for use on the battlefield. This blood is in powder form, not liquid. Medics can carry it with them and mix it with saline solution when needed to transfuse it directly into wounded soldiers. DARPA has poured more than $46 million into a consortium of universities and companies developing this artificial blood, and recently announced that it has confirmed its efficacy in animal testing.

3. The 'Big Picture' the U.S. Military Is Looking At
There are clear hints that the U.S. military is developing this with "actual combat" in mind. Last month (May 2026), the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee held a hearing on the combat ships, troops, and budget of the Navy and Marine Corps. During this hearing, DARPA's artificial blood development was specifically brought up.

[Ted Budd / US Senator: I recently visited DARPA and heard about the artificial blood program. What preparations is the Navy making to ensure sufficient blood in large-scale operations or combat situations in the Pacific?]

[Daryl Caudle / US Navy Admiral: I also recently visited DARPA and received the same briefing. That is indeed FSHARP. The development of artificial blood and synthetic platelets is key to battlefield survivability, especially in securing the 'golden hour' in the vast Indo-Pacific region. That is why I have a great interest in artificial blood products. I believe we have not yet reached the stage of actual deployment. The Defense Health Agency (DHA) also recognizes the importance of this program. Both Commandant Smith and I are interested in this issue. It is crucial to save our Navy personnel.]

The key point to note here is the phrase "securing the 'golden hour' in the Indo-Pacific." This is the very "golden hour" we often refer to as the golden time. While artificial blood would be helpful on any battlefield, specifically pointing to the Indo-Pacific—where Taiwan is located—suggests that the U.S. is keeping a potential conflict between the U.S. and China in mind. Indeed, during the U.S.-China summit last month (May 2026), President Xi Jinping warned the U.S. regarding the Taiwan issue, stating that "mishandling it could lead to conflict."

4. What If a War Breaks Out in the Taiwan Strait?
If a war actually breaks out in the Taiwan Strait, the U.S. military would have to transport troops and blood by air or sea. However, if China blocks the skies and seas, it would be difficult to fight properly. Since replenishing troops would also be restricted, there would be a desperate need for artificial blood that can be stored at room temperature for a long time, rather than real blood that only lasts 40 days. Furthermore, having witnessed the limitations of aerial resupply in the war in Ukraine, the U.S. military has no choice but to pay closer attention to this issue.

5. "Artificial Blood Is the Holy Grail of Battlefield Medicine"
Last month (May 2026), the U.S. military moved beyond the animal testing phase and launched its next project, "RAPIID," aimed at clinical trials and mass production. Building on the achievements of FSHARP, the goal is to obtain FDA approval so that it can be used on wounded soldiers in the field as early as Fiscal Year 2029, which begins in October 2028. Among those who emphasized the importance of artificial blood at the hearing was Marine Corps Commandant General Eric Smith, who suffered gunshot wounds during an enemy ambush in Iraq in 2004. A commander who had been on the brink of death due to blood loss on the battlefield described room-temperature-stable blood as a game-changing technology for battlefield medicine.

[Eric Smith / Commandant of the US Marine Corps: Shelf-stable blood products are the 'holy grail' of battlefield medicine. When I was wounded in 2004, I almost bled to death, but I survived after receiving a blood transfusion at a hospital in Baghdad. If we had been able to use shelf-stable blood products in the field, it would have been much better. This technology is the true 'holy grail' of battlefield medicine.]

Will the United States truly be able to change the game of battlefield medicine? We will have to wait and see what role this "new blood" will play in future conflicts around the world.

(Reported by Kim Taewon | Organized by Shin Hee-sook | Video by Park Woo-jin and Cha Seung-hwan | Video Editing by Kim Hye-ju | Graphics by Yook Do-hyun | Source: DVIDS, KaloCyte | Produced by SBS Digital News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.