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M10 Booker

American armored fighting vehicle From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

M10 Booker
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Not to be confused with M10 tank destroyer.

The M10 Booker is an American assault gun[1] produced by General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) for the United States Army. The M10 was developed from the GDLS Griffin II armored fighting vehicle as the winner of its Mobile Protected Firepower (MPF) program in June 2022. The initial contract was for 96 low rate initial production (LRIP) vehicles, the first of which were delivered in February 2024;[9][10] however, on 2 May 2025, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll announced that the program was cancelled due to cost, a poorly negotiated maintenance contract, its weight, and its design. The Army had taken delivery of approximately 80 of the vehicles when the program was cancelled. The vehicles have an uncertain future and may be transferred to armored units, sold abroad, or placed in storage.

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Classification

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The vehicle has been called a light tank by some military officers and defense media due to its design and appearance,[11][12] although Army officials related to the MPF program consider this incorrect.[11][13][14] The vehicle weighs about 38 tons,[5] which is equivalent to various medium and main battle tanks operated by other nations.[15] By design, it is not a tank by modern standards, and would, according to description, essentially serve the role of an assault gun.[15]

The defense industry magazine ESD (European Security & Defence) reported in January 2025 that the Pentagon had spoken out against the light tank characterisation, stating: "The primary objection to the light tank label is found in the vehicle’s mission statement, which is to provide direct fire to neutralise obstacles typically faced by infantry, such as bunkers, gun emplacements or light armoured vehicles."[1] A spokeswoman for the Army’s Program Executive Office Ground Systems, Ashley John, stated in 2022 that the "MPF is not designed to be able to engage enemy tanks".[1] Major general Glenn Dean, Program Executive Officer for Ground Combat Systems, separately stressed that "light tanks" historically have performed reconnaissance functions, "and this is not a reconnaissance vehicle, it’s an assault gun".[1]

A later quote by Maj. Gen. Glenn Dean states:

The M10 Booker is an armored vehicle that is intended to support our Infantry Brigade Combat Teams by suppressing and destroying fortifications, gun systems and trench routes, and then secondarily providing protection against enemy armored vehicles.

— Maj. Gen. Glenn Dean, program executive officer of Army Ground Combat Systems[13]

According to Lt. Col. Pete George, product manager for the M10 Booker Combat Vehicle, the vehicle is defined as an "armored infantry support vehicle".[2]

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Background and selection

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Main article: General Dynamics Griffin
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An M10 Booker on the move

Derived from the Austrian-Spanish ASCOD 2 infantry fighting vehicle-platform,[16] the GDLS Griffin II was offered under Army's MPF program. In accordance with the program's caliber requirements, it incorporated a 105 mm M35 tank gun and a redesigned chassis.[17][18][19] The M35 was originally designed and developed by Benét Laboratories, Watervliet Arsenal, in 1983 for the Marine Corps' Mobile Protected Gun Program. It was later incorporated in the Army's M8 Armored Gun System light tank, which was canceled in 1996.[20][21] The M35 is about 1,800 lb (816 kg) lighter than the M68 tank gun used on the M60 tank.[22]

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An M10 Booker firing its 105 mm M35 cannon in 2024

In December 2018, GDLS was downselected, along with BAE Systems, to develop prototypes.[23] GDLS presented its first prototype in April 2020.[24] BAE's M8 AGS proposal was disqualified in March 2022.[25] In June 2022, GDLS won the MPF program competition and was awarded a contract worth up to $1.14 billion.[26][9]

Name

The MPF was officially designated "M10 Booker" in June 2023, named for American soldiers Private Robert D. Booker and Staff Sergeant Stevon Booker. Robert Booker was killed on 9 April 1943 during the Tunisian campaign of World War II, and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. Stevon Booker was killed on 5 April 2003 during a "Thunder Run" in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.[5][27]

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Development

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Design

The M10 Booker was developed to address a critical gap in U.S. Army Infantry Brigade Combat Teams (IBCTs) by providing a mobile, protected, direct fire capability to neutralize enemy fortified positions, heavy machine guns, and armored vehicle threats. The U.S. Army planned to field 14 M10 Bookers per IBCT, ensuring enhanced firepower and maneuverability in both offensive and defensive operations.[28]

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Two M10 Bookers being loaded onto a C-17

The M10 Booker features a fully tracked chassis, a four-person crew, and is armed with an M35 105mm main gun controlled by the same fire control system as the M1A2 Abrams, along with an M240C 7.62mm coaxial machine gun, and an M2 .50 caliber machine gun for the commander.[29] It incorporates modular armor, smoke grenade launchers, ammunition stowage blowout panels, and an automatic fire suppression system to enhance battlefield survivability. The Booker is also equipped with Safran Optics 1's PASEO Commander's Independent Tactical Viewer (CITV) to increase the commander's situational awareness and to improve targeting capabilities.[30] A feature of the M10 Booker is its air transportability, with its 38-ton weight allowing two M10 Bookers to be carried in a single C-17 Globemaster III, whereas the C-17 can only carry one Abrams tank,[31] supposedly enhancing rapid deployment capabilities. The Army wanted a vehicle capable of being airdropped, however at 38 tons, the Booker cannot be airdropped.[32] The Army envisioned the M10 Booker as a crucial asset for IBCT operations, particularly in forced and early entry missions where anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) conditions exist.[33][34]

Production and testing

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M10 desert testing at Yuma Test Center
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M10 artic testing at Arctic Regions Test Center

The U.S. Army took delivery of the first production vehicle in February 2024.[35] The M10 underwent testing and evaluation in Arizona and Alaska in early 2025.[36][37] In May 2024, the U.S. Army issued a solicitation for full-rate production;[38] however, this solicitation was cancelled in May 2025 after approximately 80 vehicles were produced.[39][32][40]

Allocation

The Army was initially set to procure up to 504 M10s, all of which would have been allotted to light divisions in the active duty and National Guard, but only approximately 80 vehicles were produced before the M10 program was cancelled. The 82nd Airborne Division became the first unit equipped when 33 M10s entered the Fort Bragg motor pools in late FY2025, while other M10s were distributed to Fort Campbell with the 101st Airborne Division (where the M10 cracked eight of 11 bridges it crossed due to its weight),[41] to Fort Carson with the 4th Infantry Division, and to Fort Johnson at the Joint Readiness Training Center; however, the future use of the M10, if any, is in doubt.[41][40][42]

Cancellation

The Defense Department announced on 2 May 2025 that the M10 program was being cancelled. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll indicated that the program was cancelled due to cost, a poorly negotiated right to repair maintenance contract, its 38-ton weight, and its design.[39][43] The Army had taken delivery of approximately 80 of the vehicles when the program was cancelled.[32] The vehicles have an uncertain future and may be transferred to armored units, sold abroad, or placed in storage.[40][42][41]

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Operators

 United States

See also

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References

External links

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