Enhancing Cognitive Performance in the Military: The Role of Executive Functions and Training Technology

The military is embracing modern technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) to provide soldiers with more data and information, creating a strategic advantage. However, this shift also places complex demands on soldiers’ information processing capabilities, making them vulnerable to cognitive overload and potential errors on the battlefield.

To address these challenges, the military is focusing on executive functions and cognitive enhancement training. The cognitive assessment and training market is projected to grow significantly, reaching USD 8.06 Billion by 2021. While there are concerns about the reliability of some cognitive enhancement training applications, elite military organizations are seeking scientifically validated methods to enhance soldiers’ cognitive abilities.

Cognitive enhancement training is crucial for equipping soldiers with the mental skills needed to manage multiple streams of information and make complex decisions in high-pressure situations. Working memory, inhibition, situational awareness, and cognitive flexibility are essential components of cognitive performance for military personnel.

The stress-related effects of warfare can significantly degrade a soldier’s cognitive capacities, impacting operational effectiveness. Training methods that increase mental resilience and robustness are essential for soldiers to remain functionally effective in critical mission scenarios.

One example of successful cognitive enhancement practices is the Pilot Training Next Program, which utilizes perceptual-cognitive training tools like NeuroTracker to strengthen working memory, attention, and executive functions. This technology has been used in collaborative research projects to optimize training loads for individual pilots.

Elite military organizations like USSOCOM and CANSOFCOM are adopting cognitive training and assessment solutions for performance enhancement, talent profiling, and determining readiness for action. The evolution of the cognitive dimension of military performance is accelerating, driven by the adoption of new technologies like Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality.

In the coming years, we can expect to see a wide range of new solutions in military training and performance enhancement, fueled by research, technology, and applied use by military experts.