Summary and Key Points: Fort Liberty in North Carolina will soon be the training ground for operators and maintainers of the U.S. Army’s new M10 Booker light tank.

-Over the next three months, these exercises will assess if any modifications are needed as the tank nears the end of its development phase. The M10 Booker, developed by General Dynamics Land Systems, shares capabilities with the M1A2 Abrams but in a smaller frame.

-It features a XM35 105 mm cannon and advanced protection and lethality for infantry forces. If successful, the tank will begin Initial Operational Test and Evaluation in early 2025, marking a significant step in the Army's modernization efforts.

M10 Booker Light Tank Begins Crucial Testing Phase at Fort Liberty

Operators and maintainers at Fort Liberty, North Carolina are expected to start training this month with the U.S. Army’s incoming light tank series, the M10 Booker. 

According to reports, this testing will determine whether the platform needs any modifications as it nears the end of its development phase. The director of the Next-Generation Combat Vehicle Cross Functional Team, Brig. Gen. Geoffrey Norman, said the exercises will take place over a span of three months, Breaking Defense reported. If all goes according to plan, the Booker could begin Initial Operational Test and Evaluation in early 2025.

“There will be a list of things that we want to improve on the vehicle: Our team, along with others will make recommendations as to which things need to be fixed immediately prior to fielding, what things are maybe a longer-term fix and what things may be for consideration later if funding is available,” the one-star general added.

Introducing the M10 Booker

As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is making clear, main battle tanks still matter in modern warfare. 

Emerging from the Mobile Protected Firepower program, the M10 Booker armored fighting vehicle is under development by General Dynamics Land Systems. The name of the vehicle honors two different soldiers named Booker. The first is Medal of Honor recipient Private Robert Booker of the 133^rd Infantry Regiment, 34^th Infantry Division, who was killed in World War II. The second is tank commander and Distinguished Service Cross recipient Staff Sergeant Stevon Booker, Company A, 1^st Battalion, 64^th Armored Regiment, 2^nd Brigade Combat Team, 3^rd Infantry Division, who was killed in Iraq in 2003.

Specs & Capabilities for M10 Booker

Based on the Booker’s size and design, some military officers and weapons buffs consider the MPF program a light tank. Despite its smaller frame, the Booker shares many capabilities with the Army’s M1A2 Abrams main battle tank. Both vehicles are able to carry a four-person crew, are designated as fully tracked vehicles, and possess large main guns, 360-degree turrets, and other shared capabilities. The Booker is being developed with the XM35 105 mm cannon, a coaxial machine gun, and a diesel engine.

If all goes as planned in North Carolina this summer, the light tank armored vehicle will give the Army’s infantry an edge going forward. Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology Doug Bush explained that “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,” noting that the Booker could bring a whole new level of protection and lethality to infantry forces.

About the Author: M10 Booker 

Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. 

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