Peculiarities of physical fitness assessment systems in the armies of Great Britain and the United States of America

Abstract

The article considers an important issue for the current stage of reforming the Armed Forces of Ukraine - the modernization of the physical fitness assessing system of military personnel. The modernization process requires the study, analysis and implementation of the best practices of leading NATO member countries, in particular the United Kingdom and the United States of America. The purpose of the study is the analysis of modern conceptual principles and tools for physical fitness assessing of military personnel in the US and Great Britain armies to identify aviable ways to modernize a similar system in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Methods study and generalization of regulatory documents and training doctrines, analysis of the results of practical research by foreign specialists, induction and comparative analysis. Results. Three key concepts on which physical training in NATO armies operates are investigated: "physical fitness", "readiness" and "mobilization". It is established that leading countries have completely shifted the focus of attention from abstract physical fitness to targeted combat readiness. The British testing model, which includes multi-level complexes Role Fitness Test (RFT) and Soldier Conditioning Review (SCR), aimed at testing explosive strength, aerobic and anaerobic performance of soldiers in a state of extreme fatigue, is analyzed in detail. Particular attention is paid to the evolution of the assessment system in the US Army, where the outdated APFT test (focused exclusively on muscular endurance) was finally replaced by the innovative Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) in 2020. It was determined that the structure of the ACFT (including deadlift, medicine ball throwing, Sprint-Drag-Carry simulation complex, etc.) directly correlates with the basic combat tasks of the warrior (WTBD), such as evacuating the wounded, storming urban areas, long marches with super-heavy equipment, and overcoming engineering obstacles. It has been proven that modern NATO control systems are differentiated by age and gender, but completely unified in terms of the composition of exercises, which ensures transparent and objective monitoring of the combat capability of units. Conclusions. The process of physical training systems reforming in the armies of Great Britain and the United States has demonstrated a departure from the classical assessment of physical qualities level in favor of comprehensive athletic and military-applied training. The new tests have a high level of validity, as they directly reflect the motor actions of a serviceman on the battlefield (carrying loads, evacuation, explosive accelerations). In the Armed Forces of Ukraine there is an urgent requirement to transform from general physical qualities assessing to determining the functional readiness of servicemen to perform specific combat missions.