The US Navy is testing brain-electrocuting technology in order to create a new breed of super-soldiers.

Elite members of SEAL Team Six are among those training with neuro-stimulation devices designed to increase concentration and improve reaction times.

Developed for athletes, the headphone-like device fires electrical pulses into the brain which reprogram it to be more responsive to training.

Elite Navy SEAL units are training with neuro-stimulating headphones which fire electrical impulses into the brain to improve training, officials have confirmed

It is thought the devices, which place the brain in a 'hyper-learning' state, could improve shooting reaction times among SEAL units (stock image)

Rear Admiral Tim Szymanski told Military.com: 'In experiments, people who were watching these screens... their ability to concentrate would fall off in about 20 minutes.

'But they did studies whereby a little bit of electrical stimulation was applied, and they were able to maintain the same peak performance for 20 hours.

'We plan on using that in mission enhancement. The performance piece is really critical to the life of our operators.'

Captain Jason Salata, a spokesman for Naval Special Warfare units, confirmed that a 'cognitive enhancement project' was underway to test whether the technology is useful during military training.

Szymanski added that the Navy is also looking into whether certain drugs could be used to increase performance among recruits.

The technology was developed in California and is already being used by athletes on the US Olympic skiing team, as well as those playing in the NFL and MLB

Neuro-stimulation technology was developed by Dr Daniel Chao and his company Halo Neuroscience, based in California, and is based on epilepsy treatments.

Users put on a pair of headphones for around 20 minutes before training and during their warm-up, then carry out their regular workout.

The headphones are lined with electrodes which press against the skull and deliver pulses into the brain, designed to induce a 'hyper-learning state'.

Once in this state, Dr Chao claims, connections between the brain and muscles are easier to form, which is useful for athletes whose sports require sudden or explosive movements, such as hurdlers or sprinters.

For soldiers, this could lead to improvements in shooting, allow recruits to see the benefits of physical training quicker, or allow elite units to spend less time in the gym and more time on other tasks.

Players from the NFL and MLB, as well as athletes from the Olympic skiing team, have already seen improvements using the technology, according to Dr Chao.