IAV 2024 – US Army: M10 Booker, a thorough test for MTA
Shortly after the Milestone C approval in Q3 FY22 a Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) contract was issued to produce 96 M10 Bookers. LRIP 1 includes the production of 28 vehicles; according to data provided at IAV 2024 seven M10s will be dedicated to technical tests while 13 will be given to the users for operational testing. First deliveries are expected in February 2024 with the last LRIP 1 M10 to be delivered in Q1 FY25, with LRIP 2 deliveries starting in Q1 FY25 aimed at the First Unit Equipped (FUE), and LRIP 3 ones in Q1 FY26. Tests will run until mid FY25, while late FY24 will see the beginning of the Initial Operational Test and Evaluation phase. In parallel the Technical Manuals validation and verification as well as logistic demo and verification will be carried out.
In fact, flexibility is probably the right word to use to sum up the story of the M10 Booker development, which Full Rate Production should start in Q2 FY25 with first production vehicles deliveries in Q1 FY27. First Unit Equipped is expected in Q1 FY26, this receiving 42 LRIP M10s.
The M10 Booker is a 40 tons class tracked vehicle with a 38,100 kg combat mass, is powered by an MTU 8V199 15.9 litres 600 kW (800 hp) diesel engine coupled to an Allison 3040 MX transmission and is fitted with hydropneumatic suspensions. Its maximum speed on road is 70 km/h and its range on road over 550 km. Its dimensions, the M10 is 6.85 metres long, 2.4 metres wide and 3.65 metres high, ensure good mobility even in urban environments, the tracked solution allowing pivot turning.
Designed to be able to provide the Army’s Infantry Brigade Combat Teams a protected, long-range, precision direct-fire capability, the M10 has a crew of four, and is armed with an M35 105/52 mm rifled gun with a 7.62 mm coaxial gun, two clusters of four smoke grenade launchers each being fitted on the two front sides of the turret. The main gun is capable to fire HEAT (shaped charge), HESH (squash head) and APFSDS (kinetic energy) rounds that should still be present in US Army inventory, which provide great flexibility in terms of terminal effect at reduced cost; smoke rounds also exist. According to available information an M10 should carry 42 105 mm rounds, no official data being available. Maximum ergonomic commonality was maintained with the M1A2 Abrams main battle tank turret to reduce training issues.
https://www.edrmagazine.eu/us-army-m10- ... st-for-mta
