At Blacksmiths, we deliver elite medical training and capability solutions forged through lived experience in the world’s most complex and high-risk environments.
Our directors are internationally recognised leaders in tactical medicine, special operations, and prehospital care — bringing together decades of combined experience from military, emergency, and austere care domains.
We specialise in:
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Tactical & austere medicine training and consulting
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High-threat medical capability development
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Remote and industrial medical training and consulting
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Custom equipment sourcing and field solutions
Blacksmiths: Forged for the Frontline
Forged in the field, built for the frontline. Blacksmiths was born from the need for real-world, no-compromise medical training and solutions for those working in the most demanding environments on earth. Founded by a team of operational medics with decades of experience in military, law enforcement, and remote healthcare, we saw firsthand where traditional training fell short — and set out to build something better.
Our directors have served with UK Special Forces, Swedish Special Operations Forces, and frontline Ambulance Special Operations. We've responded to critical incidents, deployed into war zones, and led remote medical teams across land, sea, and air. That depth of experience shaped our philosophy: training must be relevant, realistic, and ruthlessly practical — because lives depend on it.
We sell speciality equipment that has been field tested, is based on evidence based best practice and value adds to the medics mission. We only support equipment that solves problem sets we've faced before and we know will save lives and enhance patient outcomes.
Today, Blacksmiths provides high-threat medical training, capability development, specialty equipment and consulting services across Australia and beyond. From mine site medics and tactical police to expedition teams and elite military units, we work with those who operate where support is scarce, and performance is everything.
We’re not just instructors — we’re operators who’ve been there, and who bring that reality to everything we deliver.
Our Mission.
Blacksmiths exists to forge better capability for those who go first — translating operational experience from tactical, remote, and high-risk medicine into training, equipment, and systems that solve real problems and save lives.
Why we exist:
To back first responders with better capability.
What we do:
Deliver training, equipment, and systems shaped by operational experience.
How we do it:
By identifying real problems, simplifying complexity, and focusing on practical solutions that work in the field.
What matters most:
Capability, trust, survivability, and performance under pressure.
Our Team.
Blacksmiths Tactical is a veteran-led, specialist medical consultancy delivering elite-level training, equipment, and advisory solutions. Our team brings decades of operational experience in military, law enforcement, special operations, and remote healthcare environments. We are united by one mission: to prepare and protect those who operate on the edge.
Andy Hughes
Director
Andy is a distinguished UK Special Forces Paramedic with 22 years of service, including multiple deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq.
His leadership roles have encompassed serving as the Maritime Counter-Terrorism Medical Lead for the London Olympics and as a National Inter-agency Liaison Officer for domestic maritime counter-terrorism operations.
Holding advanced qualifications in austere environment healthcare, Andy also contributes to the field as an editor for the Journal of High Threat and Austere Medicine and as a faculty member for the World Extreme Medicine Jungle Medicine course in Costa Rica.
Andreas Hammarfalk
Director
Andreas brings a wealth of international experience, having served as a Swedish Special Operations Forces sniper and medic. He is a previous Special Operations Medical Association (SOMA) Medic of the year, recognising his significant contributions to tactical medicine.
His expertise in high-threat environments is complemented by his role as a specialist instructor, where he has been recognised for his exceptional contributions to tactical medical training, particularly in Prolonged Casualty Care and the translation of military medicine to emergency services and other industries.
Andreas's dedication to realism in training and scenarios enhances the preparedness of all participants.
Matt Pepper
Director
Matt is a seasoned Special Operations Intensive Care Paramedic with a rich background in prehospital medicine across austere, remote, and tactical settings.
His leadership has been pivotal in developing training capabilities nationwide, including roles as Paramedic Educator & Head of Paramedicin for the Royal Flying Doctor Service and Clinical Training Officer for Tactical Medicine in NSW Ambulance Special Operations.
As the founding President of the Australian Tactical Medical Association, Matt's commitment to advancing tactical medical operations is unwavering.