Posted on 07/23/2025 10:24:05 AM PDT by whyilovetexas111
The U.S. Army has officially canceled the M10 Booker armored vehicle program as part of a major acquisition reform initiative. The decision was driven by a strategic shift away from counter-insurgency towards preparing for high-intensity peer conflict, a role for which the M10 was ill-suited. The vehicle failed on multiple fronts: it became too heavy for air deployment, was no longer cost-effective, and could not be adapted for future battlefields.
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalsecurityjournal.org ...
tales = takes
The lesson the Russians and North Korea have taken from their war.
“Returning Tank Production to Soviet Era Levels: Russia Will Soon Be Building Over 3000 T-80s and T-90s Per Year”
Military Watch Magazine Editorial Staff
July-2nd-2025
https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/returning-tank-production-soviet-era-levels-russia-over-3000
“Kim Jong Un calls for mass-producing newest tanks in visit to upgraded factory”
https://www.nknews.org/2025/05/kim-jong-un-calls-for-mass-producing-newest-tanks-in-visit-to-upgraded-factory/
Ukraine is the 21st Century equivalent of the Spanish Civil War - testing ground for the next war’s weapons, if not tactics.
Us versus the Chinese, Russians, or others who might present a “conventional” threat backed up by a nuclear one.
The M1 is a Heavy Main Battle Tank
The M10 was supposed to be a Light Tank that could be air dropped to support infantry.
The brass kept adding requirements to the system that required adding weight that made the tank too heavy for air drop.
high peer conflict?
pissing up a rope. (or trying to)
Stupidity does not seem to affect promotion chances, at least if you have a star.
The Army had the right system in the 1990’s. The M8 Armored Gun System was cancelled before production because the Cold War ended. The Army also turned it down two other times. Instead they got a now obsoleted Stryker variant and the Booker.
The old location of the Charlotte NC air museum had a M551 Sheridan on display.
Air dropping tanks is not a good plan.
Those retards reenacting WWI in Ukraine are a poor example of how war will be. Those idiots feed random tanks into battle, with no air superiority, no good ISR, nothing.
It the 1st Armored Division attacks, covered by the USAF and Army Apaches, you won’t be taking them out with DGI drones. Drone guys would get annihilated before they saw a tank.
The eastern front says little about tanks...but a lot about a war between amateurs.
The M10 was a tank destroyer in WW2.
No way I'd want unmanned tanks if I'm on the battlefield as an infantryman. Tanks and infantry must be integrated to be effective, and that requires face to face meeting between combat commanders. The idea that your tank platoon or company commander isn't on the battlefield would alarm me as a maneuver element commander.
There also is the element of physical care - daily maintenance, fixing thrown treads, getting bogged down, etc. etc.. Tanks need crews to keep them running and operating, not just to drive, load, and shoot.
Unmanned tanks would just be a bad idea. A long way off until that is remotely (pun intended) practical.
Original Army doctrine states that the primary mission of armor is to defeat enemy armor. That mission is being fulfilled in Ukraine with drones. Much cheaper and safer than tanks shooting at other tanks while being targeted by enemy drones. Tanks could still be useful under conditions of air supremacy, but drone warfare makes that virtually unachievable..
Not in the modern military.
As long as you can spout the Woke Doctrine you will do fine.
“ How else are we going to kill Russians?”
***************************************
Mobilize a brigade of gung-ho ZEEPERS and parachute them into eastern Ukraine?
I believe this is what they had in mind. This is the air drop of a Stryker fighting vehicle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQwJnVad5L4&t=30s
But the brass wanted it all. They wanted this light tank to be able to operate in all terranes.
That meant the vehicle had to have tracks which made it too heavy for air drop. Mission Creep has been the demise of many a weapon in development.
https://www.wearethemighty.com/watch/video-us-army-delivers-tanks/
I’ve watched them come down faster than that.
Much faster.
I was on the BAE Systems team developing the TRACER/Future Scout vehicle.
As a former Armored Cavalryman, after listening to the members from BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics pushing their pet products, I asked one question…”What is the mission of the cavalryman?” Blank stares followed by rants that it needed the Apache Longbow Radar (LM) the 40mm automatic cannon and turret (BAE) and the electronics of the M! Abrams Tank (GD).
The design was immediately over weight, dangerously vulnerable and given these young troops a weapon that told them to go out and look for a fight. When I tried to explain the problems, they told me to write a position paper…which was translated into, “Go away kid! Ya bother me!”
It seems that the M10, like the Future Scout was a mouse designed by a committee that fed on peanuts (An elephant).
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.