Air Force surgeons this week performed the service’s first robotic surgery, using a robot to successfully conduct a ventral hernia repair. The 81st Surgical Operations Squadron at Keesler AFB, Miss., used a da Vinci Xi robot to improve the mobility and range of motion in the surgery. The $2 million robot system is able to translate a surgeon’s movements more precisely, according to an Air Force release. “It made the surgery easier, visualization was much better, and the da Vinci Xi has more dexterity, which is great,” 81st MSGS general surgeon Maj. Lauren Buck said in the release. The patient was able to leave the hospital the same day as the surgery. The Defense Department has 22 of the systems, and Keesler will begin joint service training on the system next week, the release states.
The Air Force on March 12 awarded contract modifications worth a combined $2.4 billion to Boeing to procure an undisclosed number of E-7 Wedgetail as part of the program's engineering and manufacturing development phase and continue work on the airborne battle management aircraft’s radar.