At the Association of United States Army (AUSA) defense exhibition in Washington D.C., General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) unveils the final version of the U.S. Army M10 Booker combat vehicle to the public for the first time. Designed by General Dynamics Land Systems, the highly lethal, survivable and mobile direct-fire combat vehicle melds recently developed and battle-tested designs to dominate ground threats on the multi-domain battlefield. 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.
Derived from the Austrian-Spanish ASCOD (Austrian Spanish Cooperation Development) 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 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. The initial contract is for 96 low rate initial production (LRIP) vehicles, with first delivery by the end of 2023.
The Booker vehicle employs a four-person crew and features an enhanced thermal viewer, a large-caliber cannon, a lightweight hull and turret, and a modern diesel engine, transmission and suspension system. It has been designed from the start for capability upgrades, based on future operational needs. The main armament of the M10 Booker MPF consists of one 105mm cannon based on the American M35 and a 7.62mm machine gun mounted coaxially. The 105mm cannon can fire APDS (Armour-Piercing Discarding Sabot) and HE (High Explosive) rounds with a maximum firing range of 1.8 km for APDS and 4 km for HE. The APDS is a type of spin-stabilized kinetic energy projectile for anti-armor warfare. The M10 Booker MPF is powered by a state-of-the-art MTU diesel engine developing 800 hp and Allison transmission system, offering a superb power-to-weight ratio and hydro-pneumatic suspension.
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.
