The 82nd Airborne Division of the U.S. Army began yesterday with the initial operational test and evaluation of the M10 Booker combat vehicle. This new phase follows the receipt of the first units for conducting the aforementioned operational test, a process expected to culminate with the deployment of the first company of M10 Booker vehicles in the summer of 2025.
According to the Program Executive Office Ground Combat Systems, the tests conducted by the 82nd Airborne Division “…will encompass a wide range of events, including training with new equipment, firing exercises, collective training sessions for soldiers, and force-on-force exercises…”
The development and integration of the M10 Booker combat vehicle are part of the U.S. Army’s most significant transformation in decades, aimed at “…dominating large-scale combat operations in a multi-domain environment, where the M10 Booker plays a crucial role in this transformation…”
As previously indicated by Major General Glenn Dean, Executive Director of Ground Combat Systems Programs, the planned evaluations for the M10 Booker include “…production qualification and testing in desert, arctic, temperate, and tropical conditions, challenging it with scale obstacles like ditches and walls, and exposing it to real threats to ensure its survivability…”
The U.S. Army plans for the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Liberty to be the first unit to initially operate and test the M10 Booker. “…Over the coming years, battalions of ‘Protected Mobile Firepower’ will be deployed at Fort Johnson, Louisiana, Fort Campbell, Ky., Fort Liberty, North Carolina, and Fort Carson, Colorado, and in the National Guard, ensuring that our light infantry formations have the capability they need to fight…”
M10 Booker:
The M10 Booker combat vehicle was designed by the U.S. Army to incorporate a platform with high survivability, capable of early threat detection at long distances thanks to its optronic systems, and significant firepower.
The Booker is intended to provide improved mobility and protection to U.S. Army light infantry units, allowing it to operate in support of assault forces.
Armed with a 105mm M35 cannon, a coaxial 7.62mm machine gun, and a heavy 12.7mm M2 machine gun, the M10 Booker’s design highlights include sighting and detection systems similar to those of the M1 Abrams tank, facilitating training, instruction, and logistical support processes.
Capable of reaching a maximum speed of 64 kilometers per hour (on paved roads), the M10 Booker can be transported by a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft, accommodating up to two vehicles per flight.
The acquisition goal for the M10 Booker is set at 504 units, both for the Army and the National Guard, with potential minor adjustments over time. The program’s roadmap includes deploying four M10 Booker battalions by 2030, aiming to complete the acquisition process by 2035.
According to the latest report from the U.S. Congressional Research Service, “…the Army plans for the M10 to enter service in the 10th Mountain Division at Ft. Drum, NY; the 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Liberty, NC; and the 101st Airborne Division at Ft. Campbell, KY, starting in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2025. It is unclear whether these active-duty Army divisions will receive full M10 battalions or smaller units, such as companies…”
Illustrative cover image. Credits: US Army
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