Marine Corps Load Effects Assessment Program (MC-LEAP) - a standardized test methodology for dismounted soldier systems applicable for Norway?

A soldier system is an integrated set of articles/components that soldiers wear, carry, consume or control to strengthen their individual capability and the capability of their fighting unit. The soldier equipment consists of many individual components and modules that must be seen and treated holistically, i.e. as a system. In practice this is a difficult task, which asks for new measures and tools for testing and evaluating the soldier equipment. It is not sufficient to optimize single components. To secure the soldier's ability to perform his or her mission, knowledge on how single components affect the soldier's ability when they are integrated into the rest of the soldier system is required. The US Marine Corps has developed a standardized test method that examines how soldier mobility is influenced by different equipment configurations. This test method, called MC-LEAP (Marine Corps Load Effects Assessment Program), has proven to be a very powerful tool. This report is a summary of the information we received during a three day visit at the US Marine Corps. It starts by giving an insight into how the MC-LEAP, which is based on an obstacle course, is structured, the reasons for the choice of obstacles and course stations, and what the goal of this test method is. Moreover, the report describes what resources are required to own such an obstacle course, to carry out tests and to benefit from the results. To provide a better understanding of what MC-LEAP can be used for, examples of results of previously conducted trials are presented. MC-LEAP is in use in the US, Canada, and Australia. The UK has acquired a modified version of MC-LEAP. Is the MC-LEAP a tool that also Norway should adopt? To answer this question some clarifications are necessary. The report finishes by providing the questions that need to be clarified and shows different options as to how Norway could establish MC-LEAP for soldier system tests and evaluation.