The M10 Booker Is Ready to Dominate the Battlefield for the Army

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Key Points: The M10 Booker, the U.S. Army’s new light tank, is designed to support dismounted infantry and enhance maneuver warfare. Introduced in 2023, it features a 105mm M35 gun, 7.62mm coaxial machine gun, and .50 caliber commander’s weapon. It offers improved mobility and is well-suited for reconnaissance and quick-attack missions.

-Despite criticism that tanks are obsolete in modern warfare, the Booker addresses evolving battlefield needs with speed, adaptability, and integration with other armored platforms.

-Advocates believe it could have bolstered Ukraine’s counteroffensives and will play a vital role in the Army’s modernization efforts.

M10 Booker Is Ready to Make a Difference on the Modern Battlefield

Our more seasoned readers will recognize the name of this new U.S. Army combat vehicle. If you were around during the 1960s, you may long for the R&B and funk sounds of Booker T and the MGs, the sultans of Memphis music. Now, there is a new Booker that has entered the military lexicon. I’m referring to the M10 Booker combat vehicle or what some people, including me, call a light tank.

Shouldn’t Tanks Go Away for Good?

Why a light tank now, though?

Many online wags conclude that the tank is obsolete after observing warfare in Ukraine. The main battle tank is part of the armored era gone by, the critics say. All you need these days is an anti-tank missile launcher such as the Javelin or NLAW, and you can reduce a tank to a smoking ruin. Plus, an inexpensive loitering kamikaze drone can produce the same damage and take a tank out of action.

M10 Booker: I Like It, I Love It, I Want More of It

As a U.S. Army veteran, I cut my teeth on mechanized warfare at Fort Knox, the home of the Armor branch, in 1999. That means I still love tanks and infantry fighting vehicles.

Later in my career, watching that type of armor in South Korea around the DMZ cemented in my mind the need for more Abrams tanks and Bradleys.

So, I am an armor maximalist and always welcome a new asset that can help American maneuver warfare. It will be difficult to convince me that a new light tank like the M10 Booker is not worth it or that tanks are generally obsolete.

What’s In the Name?

Let’s take a closer look at this new Booker. First, the M10 is brand-spanking new. It was introduced to the public at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in April. The light tank is named after two soldiers who have the last name Booker – one who was awarded the Medal of Honor in World War Two and the other, Booker, who received the Distinguished Service Cross during Operation Iraqi Freedom. It was formerly named the Mobile Protected Firepower Vehicle.

Make It a Cavalry Vehicle

So far, three early model M10 Bookers have been delivered to the Army. The Booker is envisioned as an armored vehicle supporting quick-moving dismounted infantry. I see it as a perfect addition to an Armored Cavalry Regiment. Take a Booker and pair it with a Bradley, let it roam out front or on the flanks as a recon vehicle, prep the battlefield after an artillery attack, watch the Abrams tanks do their thing, and let the fun begin. It is all about eliminating the enemy and breaking his toys, and the M10 Booker can play a major role in this scenario.

Crucial Part of the Army’s Transformation

One civilian defense honcho is equally excited about the Booker. Doug Bush, the assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics, and technology, shared his view on the light tank in April at its christening. “The Army is undertaking its most significant transformation in several decades to dominate in large-scale combat operations in a multidomain environment, and the M10 Booker is a crucial part of that transformation.”

An M1 Abrams Tank fires off a round as a demonstration during 1st Tank Battalion’s Jane Wayne Spouse Appreciation Day aboard the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif., April 3, 2018. The purpose of the event is to build resiliency in spiritual well being, the will to fight and a strong home life for the 1st Tanks Marines and their families. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Rachel K. Porter)

Dominate the Enemy

Dominate is the keyword here. What if the Ukrainians had the Booker to accompany their Bradleys and Abrams MBTs? Could they have taken more Russian territory in the Kursk region before bogging down? I think so. It’s all about seizing the initiative and maintaining momentum in a quick advance and the Booker is meant for this type of job.

M10 Booker: Quick Look at Specs

The new light tank has an M35 105mm gun, a 7.62mm coax machine gun, and a .50 caliber M2 commander’s weapon. It can reach a speed of 40 miles per hour and may need less maintenance than the Abrams. A C-17 will likely carry the Booker into the area of operations.

There is a lot to like about the Booker. Maybe you think tanks are obsolete and a waste of money. I’m afraid I have to disagree. The future fight will be about speed and maneuverability. The M10 Booker will also surprise the enemy as dismounted infantry creep up in the battle space. It is perfect for a recon role where it snoops ahead of the central column and identifies weak spots.

It is too bad that the Ukrainians do not have a light tank like the Booker. They could win the war against the Russians faster and control more territory by breaking through Russian lines in a more efficient manner. Let’s hope the Americans can use the Booker in this manner someday too.

About the Author: Dr Brent M. Eastwood

Brent M. Eastwood, PhD, is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare, plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.