The Army is using virtual reality to give pilots’ brains a workout

Helicopter pilots with the 101st Airborne began testing a virtual reality system to sharpen reflexes and improve concentration. A soldier uses the NeuroTrainer virtual reality training system during the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade’s 32-week pilot test at Fort Campbell, Ky., on Oct. 20, 2026. The test pilot uses video game-like exercises to sharpen reflexes and improve concentration so aviators can keep pace with increasingly sophisticated military aircraft. (Andrew Lightsey IV/U.S. Army) The brain may be the weak link in the cockpit, and the Army wants to help fix that using video game-like exercises. Helicopter pilots with the 101st Airborne this week began testing a virtual reality system to sharpen reflexes and improve concentration.

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Eric Low, a CH-47 Chinook maintenance test pilot, tried the system and gave a favorable review. “I like how it challenged different aspects of hand-eye coordination and the ability to track multiple objects at the same time,” Low said. For helicopter pilots, cockpit demands can be intense. Flying low over hostile territory or conducting nighttime air assaults requires pilots to track terrain, aircraft systems and potential threats. The NeuroTrainer virtual reality training system is displayed at Fort Campbell, Ky., on Oct. 20, 2026. The 101st Combat Aviation Brigade has begun testing VR’s potential to "strengthen cognitive performance and build mental endurance" as part