Thanks for the reply, Hobbes!
It picks up patients from places that are difficult or dangerous for typical first responders and brings the patient to an Ambulance or similar.
I get that (agree) this drone is used to access places that are difficult for first responders to get to themselves, which is why the fluff seams to indicate a medium sized drone tags along. Still not sure what medium sized helper the author envisioned. It would need to be able to get the rescuee into the litter, if the patient is unconscious.
The Rescue Harrier is not intended to provide Medical care, or Patient Transport. It plucks someone off a burning building, or mountainside and brings them to a proper medic.
To which that medic may be miles away, as indicated by the sea search reply by Kane. Based on the fluff, I envision this as an inexpensive rescue transport.
By rescue I mean moving a person from someplace unhealthy to a safer place,. This may not mean medical care is needed (like evacuating someone from a sinking ship or a lost hiker), but most times a rescue does involve some form of medical care.
From the description, I can see this being used by field medics to transport soldiers from the battlefield to a field hospital (some distance away). Another version of this is for a mass casualty event, where a swarm of these swoop into a triage area to carry patients to the various hospital (cheaper and faster than ambulances). It is also likely used by rural volunteer fire departments as a means of moving someone to the nearest hospital (miles away). As you mentioned, mountain rescues are difficult and many times wilderness rescues involve a medical issue of some sort.
Given this, it is likely a popular upgrade is to attach a Valkyrie Module to the winch (maybe by the medium drone helper). It is also likely the module on the Ares-Docwagon First Responder drone can be attached to the Harrier and flown out.
Thus while the R. Harrier (as Kane calls it) isn't intended to provide medical care on it's own, the fluff does indicate the medium sized helper is supposed to do that and assist with the rescue in general (aka get the body into the litter).
An "emergency litter" is basically a cot with some straps. If you want to carry additional drones like the First Responder drone litter you'd want to add a drone rack.
This is what I pictured, too. A wire littler like search & rescue helicopters use today. However, since it's a rescue winch, if there is a Valkyrie Module on the ground, it makes sense that can be attached, instead. Also, it seems possible to use a Valkyrie Module instead of a littler (at an additional cost, of course).
So, does the "custom rack on the side of the frame" come standard on the R Harrier? If not (and it's an accessory that may be purchased), I assume it would just cost the same as a normal medium drone rack?
Sorry, it's just "Medium-class ground rescue drone" which isn't mechanically defined. I would simplify it by adding a Medium Drone rack as Standard equipment. I was totally not just sticking a pimped out Nissan Samurai gunner on my Rescue drone...
Oh yeah!!! Despite the implication that this thing is altruistic in nature, I think you hit on the real use for this drone: fire team support insertion!
If this thing can carry a "medium drone", along with the litter, how about this load out?
We have a Vulcan Systems Opossum Mk1 (med drone), which comes with a sat link and retrans unit, and the ability to varry 2 small drones (Hawker-Siddley Bats armed with SMGs or assault rifles, of course), and either 4 mini or 8 micro drones (4 EVO 'Roller Bombs', please). If we stuff your Samauri gunner in the litter, we can readily deploy a small strike force, which can throw a wall of lead poisoning (or stick n shock/gas if this is crowd control) all to "rescue" the poor shadowrunner who found themselves in a pickle.
I think that's what this "Rescue" Harrier is probably for.
