Vanguard Magazine

technoLogY t 20 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 www.vanguardcanada.com Putting the human Back in human Performance enhancement by stéfanie von hlatky and h. christian Breede T he idea that technology is ad- vancing quickly is at once an understatement and cliché. However, it also happens to be true. Books, articles, lec- tures, policies, and speeches for decades have made reference to the rapid pace of technological innovation. Concepts like accelerators, disruptors, ingenuity gaps and complexity have been used to describe how technology can impact our lives, sometimes causing a great deal of anxiety and fear. This anxiety and fear is hamper- ing meaningful policy discussion, and this is especially the case within the literature on performance enhancement for soldiers. Rather than substantive discussion on how best to integrate technological de- velopments into what we refer to as "the soldier system," some observers call for es- chewing such advances on ethical or legal grounds. At the other end of the spectrum is the temptation to focus exclusively on what science and technology can provide, which loses sight of how that innovation is to be integrated into existing soldier systems. The modern U.S. or Canadian soldier's service rifle, based on a design from the 1960s, bedazzled with wires, grips, sights, lights, and other devices, is the very image of an unintegrated system. Although the added capability of the de- vice-laden rifle is real, it is uneven and un- integrated, creating more of a burden (the appetite for batteries is but one example) than an improvement. Indeed, there is a trade-off between unfettered innovation and the degree of integration needed to truly enhance the capability of soldiers. In short, the current understanding of soldier enhancement is torn between the "gee-whiz" of the technology and the "oh hell no" of ethics. We are arguing for a middle-ground — one that sees this de- bate as part of the broader force develop- ment puzzle facing all militaries and, as a result, takes a more holistic approach to the question of enhancement. Enhance- ment is more than just about technology – it is about how technology is integrated to enhance combat effectiveness without the soldier losing their underlying human- ity. We are putting the human back into human performance. To date, our research on soldier en- hancement suggests that the emphasis thus far has been on easing the burden that military operations place on our sol- diers. Whether in terms of the physical burden of equipment or the mental bur- den of managing the ever-increasing flow of information, enhancement has focused on the science and technology that can ease this. Recent examples include Sprin- gloaded Technology's UpShot Tactical Knee Brace, which is has been recently undergoing trials and evaluations with the Canadian Armed Forces, to cognitive en- hancements that have been the focus of substantial research and development in the United States. Alongside efforts at easing the burden, the field is also focused on force protec- tion. Here, research has focused on pre- serving life and ensuring that the soldiers are protected as they engage in close com- bat or are exposed to the myriad threats they face in the contemporary operating environment. Examples here include im- provement in clotting agents and tech- nology for improved wound packing. Additionally, we see substantial efforts to improve the design of body armour. No- table here is the acknowledgement that different body types require body armour that is different in style, not just size. One example is the body armour redesign be- ing pursued in the United States to tailor the body armour based on gender as well as size. Despite these interesting – and at times controversial – developments, there re- mains a gap in the research. Indeed, the enhancement of soldiers needs to be seen in a broader context. Enhancement is more than just new gear or new drugs; it is also about education, focused on enhancing un- derstanding and the systems that enable it. Recent research has focused on the issue of cultural interoperability in military op- erations, showing that the lack of cultural

• Cover