Indian Air Force pilots popping pills to 'heighten alertness'
Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots are increasingly
using drugs to heighten alertness and cognitive abilities to optimise
performance in combat exercises. Modafinil
and Zolpidem, nicknamed ‘Go/No-Go’ pills respectively, are used to first
increase adrenaline and wakefulness, then counteract with sedation for recovery
until the next mission.The
drugs were used across the IAF in Exercise Livewire, a military exercise which
simulated a two-front war held from October 31 to November 8 in which all 54
IAF airbases were activated."It
was a high-tempo exercise to simulate a war, which requires high adrenaline
levels and the ability to push the envelope,”
