▁the ▁Army ▁in ▁September . ▁ ▁If ▁tests ▁went ▁well , ▁it ▁could ▁be ▁deployed ▁with ▁combat ▁troops ▁before ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁year . ▁Although ▁the ▁H U LC ▁was ▁tested ▁by ▁the ▁Army , ▁it ▁was ▁never ▁field ed . ▁ ▁Fund ing ▁The ▁US ▁Army ▁Nat ick ▁Sold ier ▁Research , ▁Development ▁and ▁Engineering ▁Center ▁( NS R DE C ) ▁awarded ▁Lock he ed ▁Martin ▁a ▁$ 1 . 1 M ▁contract ▁in ▁July ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁for ▁test ▁& ▁evaluation ▁of ▁upgrad ed ▁H U LC ▁units . ▁ ▁Labor atory ▁testing ▁is ▁scheduled ▁for ▁early ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁followed ▁by ▁field ▁tri als . ▁ ▁Technology ▁and ▁features ▁The ▁H U LC ▁is ▁a ▁battery - power ed , ▁lower ▁extrem ity ▁ex os ke leton . ▁ ▁It ▁car ries ▁up ▁to ▁ 2 0 0   lb , ▁distributed ▁between ▁the ▁front ▁and ▁back ▁of ▁the ▁device . ▁ ▁Lo ads ▁attach ▁to ▁the ▁ex os ke leton ▁system ▁and ▁are ▁carried ▁by ▁the ▁ex os ke leton , ▁by pass ing ▁the ▁human ▁operator . ▁ ▁The ▁effective ▁forces ▁felt ▁by ▁the ▁operator ▁are ▁dram atically ▁dimin ished ▁reducing ▁the ▁risk ▁of ▁mus cular / ske let al ▁inj uries . ▁▁▁ ▁The ▁H U LC ▁provides ▁power ▁assistance ▁at ▁the ▁hip ▁and ▁kne e ▁joint . ▁ ▁The ▁innov ative ▁hyd ra ul ic ▁architecture ▁is ▁highly ▁efficient ▁en abling ▁the ▁system ▁to ▁run ▁on ▁batter ies . ▁