M10 Booker

The M10 Booker is an armored fighting vehicle under development by General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) for the United States Army, developed from the GDLS Griffin II armored fighting vehicle as the winner of its Mobile Protected Firepower program in June 2022. The initial contract is for 96 low rate initial production (LRIP) vehicles, with first delivery by the end of 2023.

Classification

The vehicle is called a light tank by some military officers and defense media due to its design and appearance, though Army officials related to the MPF program consider this incorrect. It is to weigh about 42 tons and will according to description essentially serve the role of an assault gun.

Background and selection

Derived from the Austrian-Spanish ASCOD 2 infantry fighting vehicle-platform, the GDLS Griffin II was offered under Army's Mobile Protected Firepower (MPF). In accordance with the program's caliber requirements, it incorporated a 105 mm M35 tank gun and a redesigned chassis. 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. The M35 is about lighter than the M68 used on the M60 tank.

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

Name

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

Production

The U.S. Army took delivery of the first production vehicle in February 2024. On 8 May 2024, the U.S. Army issued a solicitation for full–rate production.

Organization and allocation

The Army is set to procure up to 504 M10s, all of which will be allotted to light divisions in the active duty and National Guard. The 82nd Airborne Division will become the first unit equipped when 33 M10s enter Fort Liberty motor pools in late FY25. The 82nd will initially field a battalion of M10s, divided into three companies. The M10s will be controlled as a divisional asset. Commanders will determine, based on mission objectives, which infantry brigade combat teams (IBCTs) will be supported by the M10-equipped battalion. The armored vehicles might be spread out evenly among the division’s IBCTs, or two companies might be assigned to a single IBCT with another company held in reserve, or some other combination. As of 2023, the Army is in the midst of transition from brigades to divisions as the tactical unit of action. It will be the division commander who will have the flexibility to configure the force to take advantage of all the division’s capabilities—retaining a tactical overmatch to the adversary that can be tailored to a specific battlefield scenario.

See also

* Kaplan MT / Harimau – Turkish/Indonesian light tank
* M1128 Mobile Gun System – US Army's previous assault gun based on Stryker
* M551 Sheridan - US Army's last light tank. Retired in 1997
* M41 Walker Bulldog - Light American tank in the early days of the Cold War
* Commando Stingray - Light US tank for export only
* Zorawar LT - Light tank by India's DRDO and L&T
* General Dynamics Griffin
* Sabrah Light Tank – Philippine light tank system based on ASCOD and Pandur II
* Type 15 tank – Chinese light tank

References

External links

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General Dynamics land vehicles
Tracked armoured fighting vehicles
Post–Cold War armored fighting vehicles of the United States