The United States Department of Defense has formally terminated the M10 Booker light tank programme as part of a comprehensive acquisition reform initiative outlined in the new Army Transformation and Acquisition Reform memorandum, which was signed by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on 1 May 2025.
This memorandum instructs the US Army to discontinue various procurement projects, including the M10 Booker, previously touted as an essential solution for mobile protected firepower within infantry brigade combat teams.
The M10 Booker, developed by General Dynamics Land Systems as part of the Mobile Protected Firepower (MPF) programme initiated in 2018, was designed to deliver quickly deployable fire support for light infantry units. Unfortunately, the programme encountered significant challenges related to design, weight, and mobility, ultimately resulting in a vehicle that was ill-suited for its intended purpose.
The production model of the M10 has a weight of 42 tonnes and its considerable size and weight have made it incompatible with essential infrastructure and strategic transport objectives, as only one unit can be transported on a C-17 aircraft, which is comparable to the logistical challenges of deploying an M1A2 Abrams main battle tank.
A significant setback to the programme occurred when Fort Campbell, the base of the 101st Airborne Division, disclosed that eight out of its eleven bridges were structurally inadequate to support the weight of the M10. This logistical challenge cast considerable doubt on the vehicle’s appropriateness for airborne and light infantry operations.
The US Army had intended to procure 504 M10s, with 12 prototypes and 96 low-rate initial production units either completed or in the assembly process. Deliveries for the second and third production batches were planned for fiscal year 2025. However, with the programme now suspended, these vehicles may be redirected to armoured units, sold to international partners, or stored.
The cancellation stems not from a singular technical failure but rather highlights more profound systemic issues within the acquisition process and requirement development. The programme’s fundamental mobility goal was undermined as early as 2015 when the US Army discreetly eliminated the air-drop requirement, significantly diminishing the platform’s operational effectiveness.
Reports from the Government Accountability Office in June 2024 revealed that the MPF program had already expended USD 7.2 billion. Updated estimates indicated that fulfilling the complete planned acquisition and support for the M10 Booker would have surpassed USD 17 billion, greatly exceeding initial forecasts. This cancellation aligns with a broader pattern in recent US Army procurement strategies.
In 2024, the US Army also discontinued the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) programme, citing evolving technological realities and battlefield conditions that favour more adaptable and cost-efficient alternatives, such as unmanned aerial systems and space-based capabilities.
