I know there are a couple former tankers in here. Perhaps a few current ones? Are you aware of the new M10 Booker? Any thoughts? Not sure if it has been discussed here before.
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M10 Booker
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Last: 1 yr ago by 74OA
A heavy Sheridan? Who's going to crew it, 11B's or tankers?
"The Booker will provide protected direct fire support for light infantry units in a lighter, more easily transportable package than the larger Abrams."
"Despite the fact that the M10 is a tracked armored vehicle that wields a big gun, the Army still refuses to characterize it as a "light tank", a position service leaders affirmed at a media roundtable on Thursday."
"The historic use of 'light tank' is to perform reconnaissance functions, and this is not a reconnaissance vehicle, it's an assault gun" like the Stryker, added Maj. Gen. Glenn Dean, Program Executive Officer for Ground Combat Systems."
BOOKER
"Despite the fact that the M10 is a tracked armored vehicle that wields a big gun, the Army still refuses to characterize it as a "light tank", a position service leaders affirmed at a media roundtable on Thursday."
"The historic use of 'light tank' is to perform reconnaissance functions, and this is not a reconnaissance vehicle, it's an assault gun" like the Stryker, added Maj. Gen. Glenn Dean, Program Executive Officer for Ground Combat Systems."
BOOKER
Are the Marines getting this as well? I understand the Marines are scaling way back on their armor. Are they swapping M-1s for these, or basically ditching tanks altogether?
It will be crewed by the 19 series MOS.OldArmyCT said:
A heavy Sheridan? Who's going to crew it, 11B's or tankers?
Also, the Army is going to start putting 19 series guys on bradleys as the crew. The dismounts will still be Infantrymen of course, but the vehicle crew will be Armor dudes.
Short on infantry to fill crews or does the switch just make operational sense?
I think it makes operational sense. The promotion cycle for a mechanized vs light infantry NCO was different because to promote in the mechanized world you had to learn the Bradley where as in the light world you were focused on being an infantry squad leader. An E5 in a light unit is trying to get a Ranger school slot, mastering the dismounted weapon systems, etc. An E5 in a mechanized unit is doing that but also learning maintenance schedules/PMCS and spending time in the motor pool let alone learning gunnery on the Bradley's chaingun.74OA said:
Short on infantry to fill crews or does the switch just make operational sense?
It's really going back to the old 11M but instead of calling them infantry we are going to make them 19 series Bradley crewmen.
After 73 Easting I always wondered why this wasn't the case.clarythedrill said:It will be crewed by the 19 series MOS.OldArmyCT said:
A heavy Sheridan? Who's going to crew it, 11B's or tankers?
Also, the Army is going to start putting 19 series guys on bradleys as the crew. The dismounts will still be Infantrymen of course, but the vehicle crew will be Armor dudes.
Operational all the way. Grunts have an aversion to maintaining anything bigger than an M4, so putting a tanker, who is used to the amount of maintenance an M1A2 takes, on an M2 just makes sense. Also, tankers value gunnery skills more than their infantry counterpart, so over all it seems like a good idea.74OA said:
Short on infantry to fill crews or does the switch just make operational sense?
It is a primarily Abrams turret with a mixed Abrams, Bradley, and Stryker component suspension system. In short it is a tank. I understand the current army plan will be to issue to infantry divisions but that is still 12-18 months from fielding/training.
It definitely is a tank, just not a main battle tank like the Abrams. I think this is a long overdue move by the Army to equip light infantry units with an armor capability designed for them.
Very much like an M-18 Hellcat. Big gun, little armor and fast as hell.
I get the concept, but French AMX-10s have been all but neutralized to artillery in Ukraine because the armor is too then and not survivable from RPGs let alone MANPATs and artillery. Hoping the Booker isn't a similar problem.
The turret is a scaled-down version of the Abrams turret, with a 105mm gun. The chassis and automotives are derived from the GDLS Griffen II.stallion6 said:
It is a primarily Abrams turret with a mixed Abrams, Bradley, and Stryker component suspension system. In short it is a tank. I understand the current army plan will be to issue to infantry divisions but that is still 12-18 months from fielding/training.
From the "Booker" link up top: "Each of the service's Infantry Brigade Combat Teams will get 14 M10s with the first arriving sometime in fiscal year 2025. The service's 2024 budget request includes $394 million to procure 33 MPF vehicles after nailing down funds for 23 and 29 vehicles in fiscal years 2022 and 2023, respectively."
The AMX weighs between15-22 tons depending on model, while the baseline Booker weighs 38-42 tons. It's a considerably heavier armored vehicle than the AMX. Booker is designed to accept add-on armor plates and reactive armor tiles. It may also get some version of the Army's new Modular Active Protection System (MAPS).AgLA06 said:
I get the concept, but French AMX-10s have been all but neutralized to artillery in Ukraine because the armor is too then and not survivable from RPGs let alone MANPATs and artillery. Hoping the Booker isn't a similar problem.
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