The M10 Booker was a groundbreaking idea—arming the U.S. Army’s light infantry with an inexpensive, armored vehicle to give furious firepower without sacrificing mobility or speed. Instead of being the hero the military had been promised by the concept, the project became a legend of the obstacles and risks of modern military design.
There were years when the Army’s Infantry Brigade Combat Teams lacked any vehicle that could combine protection, firepower, and mobility. Soldiers were left vulnerable during combat against shielded targets or lightly armored ones. The Mobile Protected Firepower program was tasked with the mission gap, with the program starting in 2017. The approach was simple: develop a vehicle that would move at high speeds, withstand the abuse of modern battlefields, and deliver infantry support where heavier tanks could not go.
BAE Systems and General Dynamics Land Systems were approached to develop prototype proposals. Following rigorous testing, in 2022, GDLS was awarded a $1.14 billion contract for the building of what would be officially termed the M10 Booker.
The Booker M10 would tread along the thin edge of being an assault gun and that of a regular tank. It carried a 105mm main gun, had four crewmen, and was equipped with advanced systems like thermal sight and advanced communications. It had a weight of about 42 tons, which was heavy but significantly less than the weight of an M1 Abrams. Active protection and modular armor were designed to defend the vehicle and crew, and its firepower was instrumental in enabling on-the-move infantry.
The Army did not wish to use the term “tank” to describe the Booker but instead called it a combat automobile intended to target enemy strongpoints and light armor, but not engage in close combat with heavy tanks.
The program plans were ambitious. Four battalions of Bookers deployed in the field by 2030, 504 vehicles, was the vision of the Army. Early manufacturing cost approximately $12.8 million per vehicle, with manufacturing costs declining as volume rose.
Manufacturing was to start in 2025, 14 vehicles per Infantry Brigade Combat Team. Manufacturing was divided among states: turrets in Ohio, hulls in Michigan, and final assembly in Alabama. 84 were contracted for, 26 received, and roughly 80 made through mid-2025.
It did not go right. Since the Army needed greater survivability, the vehicle was made heavier in lieu of its original mobility goals. The 101st Airborne Division’s bridges in Fort Campbell no longer supported it, and only one could be shipped on a single C-17 transport plane, limiting rapid deployment. It was difficult to repair, too. Limitations on field repair contracting resulted in a shortage of Army mechanics when it came to making the repairs in a timely fashion, and contracting in quick or far-away locations was problematic.
Lastly, after massive investments and dramatic success, in June 2025, the Army canceled the M10 Booker program. Through an Army Transformation Initiative to eliminate redundant programs, leadership was faced with an uncomfortable truth: the program was no longer strategically necessary. Officials admitted, “We got it wrong,” citing budgetary limitations, shifting priorities, and long-term readiness long term as the reasons.
While the M10 Booker may not be everywhere, the program has some lessons to learn. It is a difficult engineering problem to balance mobility, defense, and fire in one platform, and compromise is always a wickedness that must be indulged.
The need that drove the Booker continues. Light infantry continues to need a deployable, armored fire support vehicle. Whether the Army goes back to the idea with new technology or looks elsewhere for an answer, the experience of the M10 Booker will be pertinent for decades to come.