Soldier's Load and the Multifunctional Utility/Logistics and Equipment-Transport

The weight of the loads carried by today's dismounted infantrymen has degraded their ability to operate in restricted terrain. This degradation in capability has had a drastic impact on the effectiveness of the Infantry Brigade Combat Teams which were designed to operate in restrictive and severely restrictive terrain. Originally developed as a part of the Future Combat Systems program, the Multifunctional Utility/Logistics and Equipment-Transport is an unmanned ground vehicle designed to carry some of the excess weight of the rifle squad. This research project sought to determine whether or not the Multifunctional Utility/Logistics and Equipment-Transport is a viable mitigation strategy for the Soldier load problem in the Infantry Brigade Combat Team. The study defined the severity of the Soldier load problem as well as the capabilities and limitations of the Multifunctional Utility/Logistics and Equipment-Transport. Given a notional mission in dessert, urban, and mountainous terrain, the Multifunctional Utility/Logistics and Equipment-Transport was assessed against a set of evaluation criteria which included mobility, versatility, and protection. That assessment led to the conclusion that the MULE-T, as it is currently designed, is not a viable mitigation strategy for the Soldier's load problem in the Infantry Brigade Combat Team.