In 1981, the new belt, individual equipment, LC-2 was introduced with the green plastic quick-release buckle and was assigned the National Stock Number 8465-01-120-0674 (medium) and 8465-01-120-0675 (large).

It is constructed of nylon duck and webbing with polyester sheet stiffeners in the front, rear and lid of the small arms ammunition case.

Each cartridge magazine is held in place by means of 3⁄4-inch (1.9 cm) wide webbing spacers which cross the top of the small arms ammunition case.

Grenade carrying pockets are located on each side of the small arms ammunition case which are secured by means of a nylon web strap and metal snap fastener.

A tab with a metal eyelet is located at the top back of the small arms ammunition case to which the individual equipment belt suspenders are attached.

Three pockets on the outside, with strap and buckle adjustable closures and with snap fasteners for quick access, are provided for miscellaneous items.

The most important point in the fighting and existence loads concept is that an infantry rifleman should carry only the items necessary to complete the immediate mission at hand.

Because the type of mission, terrain, and environmental conditions will influence the clothing and individual equipment requirements, the unit commander may prescribe to the infantry rifleman the essential items.

The typical individual fighting load is made up of essential items of clothing, individual equipment, small arms, and small arms ammunition that are carried by, and are essential to, the effectiveness of the combat infantry rifleman and the accomplishment of the immediate mission of the unit when the infantry rifleman is on foot.

The goal of the individual equipment portion of the LINCLOE program was to develop a lightweight load-carrying system in an effort to lighten a combat soldier's overall load.

Although the development of the LINCLOE load-carrying equipment did not officially start until after the United States Army Materiel Command Technical Committee (AMCTC) approved the project 27 April 1966, development of lightweight load-carrying equipment really began in 1961 with the development of the lightweight rucksack (FSN 8465-782-3248) made of nylon fabrics and an aluminum frame which weighed 3 pounds (1.4 kg) as compared to the 7.5 pounds (3.4 kg) cotton canvas duck and steel item which it replaced.

[8] The development of this lightweight rucksack led to an informal inquiry by officers of the infantry community as to the possibility of reducing the weight of the M-1956 load-carrying equipment (LCE).

As a result of this interest, the army produced a set of LCE in 1962, substituting available nylon materials for the cotton canvas duck.

These two items, the lightweight rucksack and the set of nylon LCE, formed the basis for that portion of the LINCLOE quantitative material requirement dealing with load-carrying equipment.

[9] The concept approved at the meeting was for an individual equipment belt to be supported by individual equipment suspenders, to which could be attached component items such as small arms ammunition cases, water canteen covers, intrenching tool carriers, field first aid dressing cases, etc.

The field pack frame with shoulder straps and a removable cargo shelf would be designed to be worn over the individual equipment belt and suspenders.

In July 1969, test items presented at the 1968 Natick meeting and manufactured by the United States Army Support Center in Richmond, Virginia, under the supervision of Natick Laboratories personnel, were sent to the United States Army Infantry Board [USAIB], Fort Benning, Georgia; United States Army Tropical Test Center (USATTC), Fort Clayton, Panama Canal Zone; United States Army Arctic Test Center (USAATC), Fort Greely, Alaska; and the General Equipment Test Activity (GETA), Fort Lee, Virginia.

[10] They invited the LINCLOE LCE Project Officer from Natick Laboratories to attend this meeting and present the status of load-carrying equipment items.

[1] The NCO Board reviewed the LINCLOE LCE under test as well as the MLCE being provided to troops in Vietnam and arrived at characteristics which they considered desirable.

They also agreed that the test of the first-generation LINCLOE LCE should be stopped and new items be designed to reflect the characteristics developed as a result of the evaluations by the NCO Board and Infantry Team.

They presented this set of load-carrying equipment to the NCO Board and Infantry Team for review at Fort Benning on 18–19 June 1970.

On 29 July 1970, representatives from the United States Army Combat Developments Command and the LINCLOE LCE Project Officer met at Natick Laboratories and drafted a revision of the LINCLOE LCE Quantitative Material Requirement as it pertained to load-carrying equipment including the characteristics for each individual item.

Natick Laboratories fabricated fifteen sets of the second-generation LINCLOE LCE and shipped them to Army European Headquarters (USAREUR) 17 November 1970 for evaluation.

In December 1970, the United States Army Support Center, Virginia fabricated an additional 300 sets of the second-generation LINCLOE LCE and sent them to Natick Laboratories for assembly and shipment to test sites.

On 31 January 1972, the army issued military specification MIL-C-28981(MC) and these small arms ammunition cases were type classified and assigned the Federal Stock Number 8465-464-2084.

[13] As a result of the test, the Infantry Board recommended that no further development effort be expended on the load-carrying equipment as a system.

[14] Prior to these final meetings the LINCLOE LCE components had been type classified and assigned federal stock numbers as follows: The three field packs were also type classified and assigned federal stock numbers: After the final meetings, the group proposed the following changes prior to manufacture: The group accepted the medium and large field packs with minor modifications but rejected the small field pack as unnecessary.

[15] The formal development acceptance (DEVA) review on the LINCLOE LCE occurred at Natick Laboratories 17 January 1973.

Basic and advanced individual training units, to include OCS, ROTC, and USMA, use current MOLLE equipment.

Iranian Military and Law Enforcement still make heavy use of ALICE, MLC and LCE gear, but they are switching to MOLLE equipment (specifically IRGC and Army special forces) because of being more modular and to IIFS for being more lightweight.