After years of investment, research, and development, and with the delivery and production of the first units already underway, the United States Army has decided to abruptly and unexpectedly cancel the M10 Booker light tank program. The decision was announced by senior Pentagon officials in line with the new guidelines set for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, aimed at eliminating “unnecessary spending” within the force.
Conceived under the Mobile Protected Firepower (MPF) program, the M10 Booker was developed and designed as a light combat vehicle, armed with a powerful large-caliber gun to provide protection to Infantry Brigade Combat Teams (IBCTs).
Although widely regarded as a “light tank,” this designation was not shared by those in charge of the program or by the U.S. Army, who simply referred to it as a combat vehicle. Beyond this distinction—which was even treated with some humor by the specialized press—the cancellation of the program has taken much of the defense sector by surprise.
Before the announcement—confirmed by Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll—the M10 had already advanced through its official unveiling and had undergone various field tests, while General Dynamics continued production of the first units intended to equip the U.S. Army. In fact, in April of last year, the 82nd Airborne Division received the first three production units to begin operational evaluations.
This is no small detail, as the Army had set a goal for 2025 to equip its first division with the new combat vehicle, awarding new production contracts to General Dynamics as part of the process.
Against this backdrop, a few days ago, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth issued a memo that clearly laid out the position of the new Republican administration on certain ongoing Army programs and projects. More specifically, the document outlined a series of directives for the Secretary of the Army, stating: “… implement a comprehensive transformation strategy, streamline its force structure, eliminate wasteful spending, reform acquisition, modernize inefficient defense contracts, and overcome parochial interests to rebuild our Army, restore the warrior ethos and reestablish deterrence.”
As part of the review process, it was decided that the M10 Booker fell under this official assessment, leading to the abrupt and unexpected decision to end the program.
Laconically, when announcing the cancellation—and referring to whether or not the Booker was a light tank—Driscoll stated, “Now that we’re canceling, you can call it whatever,” in response to media inquiries. He later added that the M10’s concept had been flawed, saying, “We wanted to develop a small, agile tank that could do airdrops into places where our regular tanks can’t operate.”
Additionally, various media outlets noted that one of the factors contributing to the program’s downfall was that the Army was, in effect, incorporating a new heavy tank, weighing about 38 tons, which did not meet the original goals of the program. Moreover, issues related to exclusive repair and maintenance rights granted to General Dynamics raised concerns within the new administration, as those tasks could have been handled by the Army’s own technical personnel. The end result was increased program costs and longer wait times for repaired and maintained tanks to return to service.
Finally, the cancellation raises several questions for the future. First, what will happen with the 80 M10 Bookers that were reportedly delivered to the U.S. Army? And second, beyond what has already been mentioned, whether the U.S. government—perhaps as compensation to General Dynamics and associated development companies—would allow the combat vehicle to be offered for export to allied nations, given the global demand for military equipment renewal.
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