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Washington, DC – In a significant step, the US Army has revealed its first newly minted combat vehicle in close to four decades. Named the M10 Booker, the vehicle pays homage to two soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice, one in the Iraq War and another in World War II.
Staff Sgt. Stevon A. Booker lost his life during the ‘thunder run’ in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 5, 2003. Pvt. Robert D. Booker was killed amidst heavy machine gunfire in Tunisia on April 9, 1943, during WWII. Stevon Booker, a tanker, and Robert Booker, an infantryman, were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and the Medal of Honor posthumously, respectively.
Formerly known as the Mobile Protected Firepower vehicle, the M10 Booker is the first combat vehicle named in honor of a soldier who served in the post-9/11 era.
The stories of the two soldiers “articulate the Army’s exact needs for the M10 Booker combat vehicle,” service acquisition chief Doug Bush said. “Our soldiers will now have an infantry assault vehicle that brings a new level of lethality to our ground forces and allows our men and women in uniform to move at a faster pace under greater protection.”
The process of assembling the M10 Booker, developed by General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS), is slated to commence in November. It represents the first new combat vehicle to be added to the US Army in nearly four decades.
A blend of new designs and features derived from existing GDLS programs, the M10 Booker is a light tank designed to boost the mobility, protection, and direct-fire capabilities of infantry brigade combat teams. The assembly of the initial vehicles will kick off this fall, with the first production M10 Booker expected to be delivered by the end of fiscal 2023.
GDLS will initially deliver 26 vehicles, with an option for the Army to buy 70 more, totaling $1.14 billion. The Army plans to create a new battalion with 42 M10s by the fourth quarter of 2025, and expects full-rate production in the same year. Testing for the vehicle will occur in late 2024 or early 2025.
The M10 Booker exemplifies the Army’s commitment to modernize and enhance its ground force capabilities, signifying a new era in combat vehicles. With a planned procurement of 504 vehicles and an estimated 30-year lifespan in the inventory, the M10 Booker is poised to play a significant role in the US Army’s operations in the coming decades.
Source: Defense News
