The Indian Air Force with its dedicated pilots is often named among some of the best aerial combat forces of the world. But there's a hidden secret that is helping keep our Top Guns focused while on missions. A dose of what is commonly known as: Go/ No-Go pills. A major concern for air force pilots across the globe has been the pressure they have to deal with in the cockpit and the stress that comes from round the clock combat exercises, ultimately resulting in fatigue which can take a toll on a pilot's skills

The flip side.

While the drugs have been known to help pilots overcome fatigue in combat, it has been accused of impairing judgement.

The practice came under fire over a decade back, when two American pilots bombed Canadian troops during an F-16 flight over Afghanistan. Both said that the go pills they took before the mission impaired their judgement, according to a report by The New York Times.

But a senior officer of the IAF dismissed the fear of side effects saying that pills were allowed for missions under strict supervision, and "side-effects of both the pills during trials were negligible and did not appear to be a cause for concern."