Engineering:M10 Booker
| M10 Booker | |
|---|---|
 M10 Booker at its unveiling in June 2023 | |
| Type | Armored fighting vehicle Assault gun[1] |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Production history | |
| Designer | General Dynamics Land Systems |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | roughly 38[2] to 42 tons[3] |
Main armament | 1 × 105 mm M35 tank gun |
Secondary armament | 1 × 12.7 mm M2HB heavy machine gun 1 × 7.62 mm M240B machine gun |
| Engine | diesel |
| Suspension | torsion bar |
The M10 Booker is an armored fighting vehicle under development by General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) for the United States Army, based on the GDLS Griffin II light tank, 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.[4]
The vehicle is called a light tank by some sources,[5] though Army officials consider this incorrect.[1][6] It is to weigh about 42 tons[3] and will according to description essentially serve the role of an assault gun.[1]
| “ | 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., [1] | ||
Background
The 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.[7][8][9] 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.[10][11] The M35 is about 1,800 lb (816 kg) lighter than the M68 used on the M60 tank.[12]
In December 2018, GDLS was downselected, along with BAE Systems, to develop prototypes.[13] GDLS presented its first prototype in April 2020.[14] BAE's M8 AGS proposal was disqualified in March 2022.[15] In June 2022, GDLS won the Mobile Protected Firepower program competition and was awarded a contract worth up to $1.14 billion.[16][17]
The MPF was officially designated "M10 Booker" in June 2023, named for Staff Sgt. Stevon A. Booker and Pvt. Robert D. Booker.[18]
See also
- Kaplan MT / Harimau - Turkish/Indonesian light tank
- M1128 Mobile Gun System - US Army's previous assault gun based on Stryker
- Sabrah Light Tank - Spanish/Israeli light tank based on ASCOD and Pandur II
- Type 10 - Japanese main battle tank with similar weight and cost
- Type 15 tank - Chinese light tank
- Zorawar LT - Indian light tank under development
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "It's Not a Light Tank: Army Unveils New Armored Combat Vehicle". https://www.military.com/daily-news/2023/06/10/its-not-light-tank-army-unveils-new-armored-combat-vehicle.html.
- ↑ "Army to Buy 500 New "Light Tank" Mobile Protected FirePower Vehicles". https://defensemaven.io/warriormaven/land/army-to-buy-500-new-light-tank-mobile-protected-firepower-vehicles-hfQIKlru8ESGlEiG_xiuDw.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Army unveils the M10 Booker, its first new combat vehicle in two decades". https://www.stripes.com/branches/army/2023-06-10/army-combat-vehicle-m10-booker-10387122.html.
- ↑ "General Dynamics wins $1.14 billion Mobile Protected Firepower contract". 28 June 2022. https://breakingdefense.com/2022/06/general-dynamics-wins-1-14-billion-mobile-protected-firepower-contract/.
- ↑ "Everything to know about the Army's new 38-ton light tank". 9 September 2022. https://www.popsci.com/technology/army-tank-mobile-protected-firepower/. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
- ↑ Kris Osborn (July 16, 2022). "Army Says New Mobile Protected Firepower Vehicle is NOT a "Light Tank"". Warior Waven. https://warriormaven.com/land/army-mobile-protected-firepower-vehicle-abrams.
- ↑ "Two Light Tank Prototypes Battle for the Future of Army Firepower". 7 March 2021. https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a35634134/army-mpf-tank/.
- ↑ "Tomorrow Talk". http://www.nationalguardmagazine.com/publication/?i=630500&article_id=3519118&view=articleBrowser&ver=html5.
- ↑ "AUSA 2018: General Dynamics swoops in with 50mm-equipped Griffin - Shephard Media". https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/landwarfareintl/ausa-2018-general-dynamics-swoops-50mm-equipped-gr/.
- ↑ Foss, Christopher F., ed (1997). "Light Tanks". Jane's Armour and Artillery (18th ed.). London: Jane's Publishing Group. pp. 171–173. ISBN 978-0710615428.
- ↑ Freeman, Major Marshall A. (5 April 1991). The Army Needs a Strategic Armored Gun System—Now! (PDF) (War College Individual Study Project). U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks. pp. 23–24. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ↑ "Armored Gun System Loses Weight to Be Deployed by C-130". Inside the Pentagon (Inside Washington Publishers) 9 (31). 5 August 1993.
- ↑ "U.S. Army awards General Dynamics contract for Mobile Protected Firepower". https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/us-army-awards-general-dynamics-contract-for-mobile-protected-firepower-300768433.html.
- ↑ Keller, Jared (24 April 2020). "This could be the Army's next light tank of choice" (in en). https://taskandpurpose.com/military-tech/army-mobile-protected-firepower-general-dynamics-submission.
- ↑ "US Army eliminates BAE Systems from 'light tank' competition". https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/us-army-eliminates-bae-systems-from-light-tank-competition.
- ↑ "The Army Just Selected Its First Light Tank in Decades". 28 June 2022. https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/the-army-just-selected-its-first-light-tank-in-decades.
- ↑ "General Dynamics wins $1.14 billion Mobile Protected Firepower contract". 28 June 2022. https://breakingdefense.com/2022/06/general-dynamics-wins-1-14-billion-mobile-protected-firepower-contract/.
- ↑ "Army unveils the M10 Booker, its first new combat vehicle in two decades" (in en). https://www.stripes.com/branches/army/2023-06-10/army-combat-vehicle-m10-booker-10387122.html.
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