The US Army is upgrading its iconic Abrams tank for the first time in over four decades, unveiling the M10 Booker – a nimbler killing machine for the modern battlefield.

The Pentagon prefers the term ‘combat vehicle’ – but there can be no doubt that the $1.3 billion invested in the project so far is to build the Army’s new flagship tank.

The 1970s designed Abrams, a colossal 67-ton beast, has been a stalwart throughout the war on terror, deployed in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Yemen. 

But a new era of warfare demands a new breed of tank.

Weighing in at just 42 tons, the Booker has the agility to support infantry where the Abrams could not. A beefed-up engine means she can run for 24 hours and has a range of 350 miles – 100 miles more than the Abrams.

The M10 Booker is set to improve upon the classic M2A1 Abrams tanks (pictured), which have been supplied to Ukraine in the ongoing Russian invasion

The M10 Booker is set to improve upon the classic M2A1 Abrams tanks (pictured), which have been supplied to Ukraine in the ongoing Russian invasion

The M10 Booker is set to improve upon the classic M2A1 Abrams tanks (pictured), which have been supplied to Ukraine in the ongoing Russian invasion  

Ever since the Abrams replaced the Cold War-era M60 Patton, shuttling tanks across the globe has been a persistent problem for the US military. 

Upgrading to the Booker will seemingly cut this problem in half, as two of the tanks can be transported in a C-17 Globemaster carrier jet, compared to just one Abrams. 

As the conflict in Ukraine mounts in urgency, with President Biden pledging unending support for the nation including 31 Abrams, efficiency in America’s combat weaponry looks to have been prioritized. 

The Booker is equipped with an array of sophisticated gear, including a turret with laser targeting and a thermal night vision scope, and its lightweight design resembles something between a Soviet BMP infantry fighting vehicle and a smaller Abrams.

The Booker’s 360-degree, 105mm turret is slightly shorter than its predecessor’s 120mm main gun, and the Abrams’ large design has earned it an unenviable reputation for being unwieldy and vulnerable in open spaces. 

However, the Abrams is not being taken out of service by the Booker, and remains the main battle tank for the US army. Including its M1 and M1A1 offshoots, over 10,000 Abrams tanks have been produced -and many destroyed – over the years.

General Dynamics, the same company producing Bookers for the US military, was also awarded a $4.6 billion contract to produce a new fleet of M1A2 Abrams tanks. The number of vehicles was not specified, but production is expected to continue until June 2028. 

The reduced size of the Booker sparked debate over its categorization, with some of the top brass wary of the word ‘tank’ and preferring to downplay its potency.

Maj. Gen. Glenn Dean, program executive officer of Army Ground Combat Systems told a press conference in June that the Booker is set to be used in a different capacity to its larger predecessors. 

‘The historic use of “light tank” is to perform reconnaissance functions, and this is not a reconnaissance vehicle, it’s an assault gun,’ he said.

‘Historically, it’s not actually a mission match, even though it looks like, feels like, and smells like (a tank).’

But the Booker’s status as the future of combat has not always been smooth sailing, after early tests found the main gun turret emitted toxic fumes that could have threatened soldier safety. 

BOOKER 

Current cost per tank: $12.9 million

Turret: 105mm

Crew: Four – A commander, a gunner, a loader, and a driver

Ammunition: Armor-Piercing and exploding STAFF rounds

Range: 190 miles, with a 24 hour engine

<!—->

Advertisement

ABRAMS 

Current cost per tank: $9 million

 Turret: 120mm

Crew: Four – A commander, a gunner, ammunitions loader, and a driver

Ammunition: Exploding STAFF rounds, main turret Boer Cannon rounds, two machine guns

Range: 275 miles

<!—->

Advertisement
The sophisticated combat vehicle is equipped with an array of high-tech gear, including a laser targeting system from the turret and thermal night vision imaging

The sophisticated combat vehicle is equipped with an array of high-tech gear, including a laser targeting system from the turret and thermal night vision imaging

The sophisticated combat vehicle is equipped with an array of high-tech gear, including a laser targeting system from the turret and thermal night vision imaging 

Officials plan to adapt the Booker's lightweight design to the modern battlefield, including ease of transport and travelling over unwieldy terrain

Officials plan to adapt the Booker's lightweight design to the modern battlefield, including ease of transport and travelling over unwieldy terrain

Officials plan to adapt the Booker’s lightweight design to the modern battlefield, including ease of transport and travelling over unwieldy terrain 

An Australian Army M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank from the 2nd Cavalry Regiment lands on the beach during a large-scale combined amphibious assault exercise on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023, at a naval base in San Antonio, Zambales, Philippines

An Australian Army M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank from the 2nd Cavalry Regiment lands on the beach during a large-scale combined amphibious assault exercise on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023, at a naval base in San Antonio, Zambales, Philippines

An Australian Army M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank from the 2nd Cavalry Regiment lands on the beach during a large-scale combined amphibious assault exercise on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023, at a naval base in San Antonio, Zambales, Philippines

Dean acknowledged the issue when he unveiled the Booker’s name in June, saying that test runs sparked concern when ‘high levels of toxic fumes’ filled the vehicle when the main gun was fired. 

Dean added that the issue was quickly resolved, saying: ‘I’m happy to report that toxic fumes were one of our concerns at the production decision and we’ve been doing some engineering and testing, and I can confidently say today that that is an issue that is behind us.’ 

Manufacturing on the Booker was ramped up last summer, when General Dynamics Land Systems won a hefty contract worth over a billion dollars to build 96 of the vehicles. 

The ‘light tanks’ will be manufactured in Michigan, Alabama and Ohio, and Dean said he expects the first shipments of the vehicles to arrive in November, which would reportedly be ahead of schedule. The first battalion on the front lines could be bolstered by Bookers by late 2024.

The first glimpses of the Booker sparked a wave of excitement among military fans and gearheads, as years of calls for the US army to improve is ground fleet and redevelop a high-powered ground vehicle were finally answered.  

Many trace the idea to fund a state-of-the-art ‘tank’ to around 2014, when Russia precluded its invasion of Ukraine with the annexation of the region of Crimea.

President Biden branded the classic Abrams tanks ‘the most capable in the world’ when he controversially pledged the vehicles to Ukraine in January, seen by many as a direct escalation of America’s role in the fight against the Russian invasion. 

The Abrams’ presence in Ukraine has been a significant turning point, however, leading some Russian forces to create inflatable versions of the tanks to trick their opponents on the battlefield. 

In June, the vehicle was renamed after two veterans, including World War Two Infantryman Private Robert Booker (pictured) who died on April 9, 1943

In June, the vehicle was renamed after two veterans, including World War Two Infantryman Private Robert Booker (pictured) who died on April 9, 1943

The M10 Booker also shares its name with Staff Sargeant Stevon Booker (pictured), a tanker who was killed in Baghdad on April 5, 2003

The M10 Booker also shares its name with Staff Sargeant Stevon Booker (pictured), a tanker who was killed in Baghdad on April 5, 2003

In June, the vehicle was renamed after two veterans who died in combat almost 60 years apart: World War Two Infantryman Private Robert Booker (left) who died on April 9, 1943, and Staff Sargeant Stevon Booker (right), a tanker who was killed in Baghdad on April 5, 2003

A key improvement to the Booker is its lightweight design, and two of the vehicles can fit into a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft carrier compared to just one Abrams

A key improvement to the Booker is its lightweight design, and two of the vehicles can fit into a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft carrier compared to just one Abrams

A key improvement to the Booker is its lightweight design, and two of the vehicles can fit into a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft carrier compared to just one Abrams

In 1991, the Abrams tanks were deployed to the front lines for the first time, over a decade after they were introduced to the military. They were an instant success in Operation Desert Storm in the Gulf Wa5r, where they destroyed over 2000 Iraqi tanks compared to only nine M1 tanks. 

By 1999, producing an Abrams tank reportedly cost roughly $5 million. Today, the Booker is expected to cost around $13 million. 

The Abrams tanks also underwent numerous adaptations over the years, including upgrading some versions with uranium armor and protections against biological or chemical attacks. 

Upgrading the Abrams was no mean feat, and the new array of combat amenities on the Booker led Scott Boston, a defense analyst with the Rand Corporation, to note that the vehicle could revolutionize the way the US army traverses tough terrain in future battles. 

‘The battlefield role for the M10 will be to support deployed infantry forces,’ he told the Wall Street Journal. ‘The Booker basically gives you armor support that you otherwise wouldn’t have had.’

‘It can carry a wider variety of munitions, and it can go places that an armored Humvee can’t go,’ he added, noting that the Booker may be able to travel over certain bridges due to its reduced weight. 

The new fleet of ‘light tanks’ were initially branded ‘Mobile Protection Firepower’ (MPF), before officials decided to name the weapon after two fallen soldiers who died almost 60 years apart.

The M10 Booker is named after World War Two Infantryman Private Robert Booker, who died on April 9, 1943, and Staff Sargeant Stevon Booker, a tanker who was killed in Baghdad on April 5, 2003. 

‘The stories of these two heroic soldiers articulate the Army’s exact needs for the M10 Booker combat vehicle,’ said head of Army acquisition Doug Bush when the tank was renamed in June.

‘Our soldiers will now have an infantry assault vehicle that brings a new level of lethality to our ground forces and allows our men and women in uniform to move at a faster pace with greater protection.’

You May Also Like

Chronic pain affects one in four adults in UK

Almost half of those affected said it impacted their ability to carry…

ESPN studios ‘was hit by a BRICK, thrown by Aaron Hernandez’s older brother’

The older brother of former NFL star and convicted murderer Aaron Hernandez…

Sick sea lions and dolphins are washing up on Southern California shores

Dozens of sea lions and dolphins are washing up on Southern California…

PC said ‘just carry a knife’ as dating advice in vile WhatsApp group, disciplinary hearing told

A policeman gave a colleague dating advice of ‘just carry a knife,…