The US military plans to develop a psychostimulator, the action of which can be activated in the brain using near-infrared radiation. This technology will help the pilots of the US Air Force to remain vigilant during long combat missions. The drug will not cause addiction or side effects.
The successful completion of combat missions depends on a number of components: equipment, tactics, strategy, and also on the training and personal qualities of the military. On the battlefield, only a few retain sobriety of mind, self-control and the ability to make the right decisions, but even these soldiers are subjected to enormous stress, the consequences of which can manifest themselves already in the rear.
For centuries, people have been coming up with ways that could "improve" warriors. To do this, various drugs were used that helped fighters overcome drowsiness and fear, increase endurance, often to the detriment of health.
For example, for decades, since the Vietnam War, the US military has been using dextroamphetamine, a psychostimulant whose active ingredient interacts with dopamine receptors. This drug increases alertness and cognitive abilities.
After the end of the Gulf War in 1991, a survey showed that most McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle fighter pilots used psychostimulants while patrolling the airspace. The US Air Force suspended the issuance of stimulants between 1996 and 2001. However, pilots of Northrop B-2 Spirit bombers began taking dextroamphetamine again during the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003.
The main disadvantages of dextroamphetamine are addiction and side effects that can negatively affect teamwork during combat missions. Prolonged use of the stimulant can even lead to sleep disturbances, which affects the health of pilots.
The US Department of Defense agency DARPA, responsible for the development of new technologies, announced work on the creation of a new version of dextroamphetamine AWARE. The active substance of the drug can be "turned on" and "turned off" in the human brain using the near-infrared spectrum. The agency hopes that this drug will allow pilots to use all its benefits without harm to their health.
According to a DARPA press release, special "emitters" operating in the near-infrared range will be built into the pilots' helmets. They will selectively activate the active substance of the stimulant in the prefrontal cortex of the brain, and then "turn it off" when it is no longer needed. Thus, USAF pilots will be able to maintain maximum vigilance on duty and fall asleep more easily after combat duty.
According to the agency, the technology is being developed in such a way as to avoid activating the stimulant in those parts of the brain where the drug can cause side effects such as anxiety, irritability, anxiety or euphoria.
Among the main tasks facing DARPA is to find a way to modify dextroamphetamine molecules so that they change only in the presence of a certain part of the near-infrared spectrum. In addition, scientists need to ensure that the new version of dextroamphetamine cannot work in the absence of such light.
DARPA plans to begin technological development of the drug in the fall of 2024, and by the fall of 2027 it will be tested on animals. Then the US Air Force will take over and conduct experiments on humans.
In the near future, the agency of the US Department of Defense will begin close cooperation with manufacturers of aviation helmets and the US Air Force to launch the process of releasing new helmets with already built-in light emitters.
It should be noted that so far no photosensitive medicine has found clinical use. However, experts explained that research groups in the United States are now using artificial intelligence and advanced technologies to develop such drugs, which will help DARPA achieve its goal in the near future.
