Tucson, Arizona – April 17, 2025 – Delta Development Team (DDT) is proud to announce that it has been selected for a $1.57 million Tactical Funding Increase (TACFI) opportunity by AFWERX, the innovation arm of the Department of the Air Force and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory. The phase IIB award represents a partnership between DDT, AFWERX, the 59th Medical Wing’s Office of the Chief Scientist, the Center for Sustainment of Trauma and Readiness Skills (C-STARS), and Air Mobility Command. This funding will accelerate the development of DDT’s groundbreaking Total Blood System (TBS), a revolutionary technology poised to transform blood management for enroute military care, battlefield distribution, and prehospital blood transfusion programs for emergency healthcare.
Total Blood System (TBS) image courtesy of Delta Development Team
Dr. Debra Niemeyer, the Chief Scientist for the 59th Medical Wing, noted that “We are thrilled to support the development and fielding of the Total Blood System (TBS) for C-STARs and Air Mobility Command, as it addresses the critical challenges in blood management by providing an efficient, scalable, and sustainable solution for blood storage, transport, and distribution.”
The Total Blood System (TBS) is designed to overcome key challenges in blood management, such as the need for high volumes of cold-stored blood, transport durability during enroute care, and inefficiencies in long-term blood storage. By providing a more efficient, reliable, and safe system for blood storage and transport, TBS is set to enable whole blood transfusions for military personnel and patients suffering from traumatic injuries—ultimately saving lives in critical care situations.
“We are deeply honored to be selected for the TACFI opportunity, which will play a key role in advancing the Total Blood System (TBS) project,” said Montgomery Leija, CEO of Delta Development Team. “This initiative will help us enhance the technology, support our warfighters, and bring us closer to commercialization. TBS has the potential to revolutionize how blood is stored, transported, and distributed, ultimately improving patient outcomes and addressing pressing healthcare challenges.”
The TACFI selection and funding will support the next phase of TBS development, including scaling production, expanding research efforts, and meeting regulatory and safety standards to create a commercially available, advanced medical capability for military and civilian use. This opportunity is a pivotal step towards accelerating the TBS’s path to market, with significant applications in military and emergency medical healthcare sectors.
About Delta Development Team
Delta Development Team is a leader in thermal technology innovation, dedicated to developing advanced solutions that improve patient care and streamline medical storage and transport systems. With a team of experts and a commitment to transforming healthcare, Delta Development Team is at the forefront of pioneering technologies designed to solve the most pressing challenges of cold chain logistics. For more information, visit: deltadevteam.com.
About AFWERX
As the innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFWERX brings cutting-edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. AFWERX employs approximately 370 military, civilian and contractor personnel at four hubs and sites executing an annual $1.4 billion budget. Since 2019, AFWERX has awarded over 10,400 contracts worth more than $7.24 billion to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit: afwerx.com.
About AFRL
The Air Force Research Laboratory is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development, and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace force. With a workforce of more than 12,500 across nine technology areas and 40 other operations across the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit afresearchlab.com
About The 59th Medical Wing
The 59th Medical Wing Office of the Chief Scientist and the USAFSAM C-STARS have a national defense-related mission need in USAF Strategic Capabilities to deploy and maintain adequate blood supplies to far forward locations and to provide effective, efficient, and responsive patient care throughout the continuum of care (point of injury through aeromedical evacuation to advanced care in a medical treatment facility). This strategic medical capability being developed will address strategic challenges of:
- Increased autonomy in tactical-to-strategic environments (and operations)
- High level of trust required for lethal combat application (in medical care support)
- Overcoming unpredictability and uncertainty in combat
The 59th Medical Wing is well positioned to support this innovative effort as the Air Force’s premier health care, medical education and research, and readiness wing. The wing’s vision is “Exemplary Care, Global Response” with the mission to develop warrior medics through patient-centered patient care, focused on patient safety, readiness access and customer service. The Office of the Chief Scientist leads operational medicine research translating findings to enhance warfighter resilience, protect the force, and advance medical care across the global health system, and train future military leaders.
Media contact: info@deltadevteam.com