US Army unveils new M10 Booker Combat Vehicle PHOTO/VIDEO

The US Army has introduced its first major armored vehicle in two decades, the M10 Booker Combat Vehicle.

The decision was made to invest $1.4 billion in the M10 Booker, developed by General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS, part of General Dynamics Corporation), Defence Turk announced on its Twitter page, according to Caliber.Az.

🔵🇺🇸ABD Ordusu hafif tanklara yatırımını arttırıyor

🔸ABD Ordusu, GDLS tarafından geliştirilen M10 Booker hafif tanka yaklaşık 1.4 milyar dolar değerinde yatırım yaptıhttps://t.co/crUnSKTy7y

— Defence Turk (@Defence_Turk) July 2, 2023

The M10 Booker, a 38-ton "light tank", was first unveiled in mid-June 2023 at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, USA, during the 248th-anniversary celebration of the US Army. The vehicle shares the same code name as the M10 Wolverine GMC (Gun Motor Carriage) tank fighter used during World War II.

M10 Booker and its classification

The Army, which originally designated the M10 Booker as a "light tank", decided to use the new designation of tracked gun-mounted fighting vehicle, Mobile Protected Firepower (MPF) to prevent the Booker from being used in the same manner as the M1 Abrams main battle tank. The M10 Booker's main purpose is to provide high firepower to infantry by virtue of its high mobility and ease of maintenance compared with the main battle tank.

The M10 Booker MPF is armed with a 105mm cannon based on the American M35 and a 7.62mm machine gun in tandem with it. The 105mm cannon has a maximum firing range of 1.8 km for APDS (Armor-piercing Sub-Caliber Ammunition) and 4 km for HE (High Explosive Device) and 21 rounds.

A new fire control system and new tracks have been applied and the powerpack has been upgraded, using an MTU diesel engine combined with an Allison 3040MX automatic transmission.

Mounted on an ASCOD chassis, the M10 Booker is similar in design to most light tanks, with the driver and engine at the front and turret at the rear. The turret accommodates a crew of three, including the commander, gunner, and loader. Using many components from the M1A2 Abrams AMT, the turret comprises the M1A2 SEP V3 fire control system and CITV thermal imager.