The heavy tank that was never meant to be light

Countries & Cities · Published 14 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: The M10 Booker was designed to be a nimble, air-transportable solution for the modern battlefield. Instead, it became a victim of its own weight and shifting priorities, leading to a high-profile cancellation just as the first units reached the motor pools.

Developed by General Dynamics Land Systems as the winner of the Mobile Protected Firepower (MPF) program in June 2022, the M10 Booker was intended to fill a critical gap for Infantry Brigade Combat Teams. It was designed to provide mobile, protected direct fire against fortifications and armored threats. However, despite its appearance and some media characterizations as a "light tank," Army officials and the Pentagon clarified it was an "armored infantry support vehicle" or "assault gun." It was built on a chassis derived from the Austrian-Spanish ASCOD 2, incorporating a 105 mm M35 tank gun.

The vehicle's identity crisis was rooted in its weight. While the Army initially sought a vehicle that could be airdropped—hoping to carry two M10s in a single C-17 Globemaster III—the final design reached 42 tons. Due to this heavier mass, the Air Force decreed that a C-17 was limited to transporting a single Booker, rendering the craft unsuited for airdropping. Furthermore, the weight caused logistical issues; for instance, an analysis revealed that most bridges at the 101st Airborne Division's base in Fort Campbell could not support it.

In May 2025, the Department of Defense officially canceled the program. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll cited the 42-ton weight as the primary reason, labeling the project a "classic example of sunk cost fallacy." While the Army had already taken delivery of 26 vehicles by June 2025—with some units reaching the 82nd Airborne Division—the program's future remains uncertain. The remaining vehicles may be sold abroad, transferred to other units, or placed in storage.

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