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Updated July 1, 2024
The Army’s M-10 Booker (Formerly Known as Mobile
Protected Firepower [MPF]) System
What Is the Mobile Protected Firepower
(MPF) System?
Middle Tier Acquisition (MTA) according to the Defense
Acquisition University is a rapid acquisition approach that
The Army’s MPF system is intended to address an
focuses on delivering capability in a period of 2 to 5 years. The
operational shortfall in infantry units:
authority to use MTA was granted by Congress in Section 804
Currently the Army’s Infantry Brigade Combat
of the FY2016 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)
Teams (IBCT) do not have a combat vehicle
(P.L. 114-92). Programs using MTA are not subject to the Joint
Capabilities Integration Development System (JCIDS) and
assigned that is capable of providing mobile,
provisions of Department of Defense (DOD) Directive
protected, direct, offensive fire capability.... The
5000.01 “Defense Acquisition System.” MTA consists of
MPF solution is an integration of existing mature
utilizing two acquisition pathways: (1) Rapid Prototyping,
technologies
and
components
that
avoids
which is to streamline the testing and development of
development which would lengthen the program
prototypes, and (2) Rapid Fielding, which is to upgrade existing
schedule.
systems with already proven technologies.
Operationally, the Army wants the MPF to be able to
On December 17, 2018, the Army awarded two Section 804
[n]eutralize enemy prepared positions and bunkers
MTA Rapid Prototyping contracts for MPF. The two
and defeat heavy machine guns and armored
companies awarded contracts were General Dynamic Land
vehicle threats during offensive operations or when
Systems (GDLS), Inc. (Sterling Heights, MI) and BAE
conducting defensive operations against attacking
Systems Land and Armaments, LP (Sterling Heights, MI).
enemies.
Each MTA Rapid Prototyping contract was not to exceed
$376 million. The MTA Rapid Prototyping contracts
In terms of the Army’s overall procurement plans for MPF,
required delivery of 12 preproduction vehicles (from each
[t]he Army Acquisition Objective (AAO) for MPF
vendor) for developmental and operational testing, and a
is 504 vehicles, with 14 MPFs per IBCT. The
Soldier Vehicle Assessment (SVA).
targeted fielding for the First Unit Equipped (FUE)
M-10 Program Status
is Fiscal Year (FY) 2025.
The SVA reportedly began in January 2021 at Ft. Liberty,
MPF Redesignated as the M-10 Booker
NC—without the BAE prototypes because of production
On June 14, 2023, the Army announced the redesignation
challenges—with testing running through June 2021. While
of the MPF as the M-10 Booker infantry assault vehicle.
BAE was unable to provide prototypes at the beginning of
According to the Army,
testing, prototypes were eventually provided to the Army
for testing. During the assessment, soldiers evaluated
The vehicle platform honors two enlisted Army
GDLS and BAE M-10 prototypes in a variety of operational
soldiers who served our nation selflessly during
scenarios.
times of great conflict – Medal of Honor recipient
MPF Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP)
Private. Robert D. Booker, who perished in World
Contract Awarded
War II, and Distinguished Service Cross recipient
On June 28, 2022, the Army announced the award of a
Staff Sergeant Stevon A. Booker, who died from
$1.14 billion contract to GDLS for the production and
injuries sustained in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
fielding of up to 96 M-10 systems (Figure 1). Delivery of
M-10 Acquisition Strategy
the first LRIP M-10 system was expected in 19 months, and
In November 2017, the Army issued a Request for Proposal
Initial Operational Testing and Evaluation was planned for
(RFP) for the Engineering and Manufacturing Development
the end of FY2024. The first unit equipped is scheduled for
(EMD) phase and, in order to maximize competition,
the fourth quarter of FY2025, consisting of a battalion of 42
planned to award up to two Middle Tier Acquisition (MTA)
M-10s. Each LRIP M-10 system is expected to cost about
contracts for the EMD phase in early FY2019.
$12.8 million. Full-Rate Production M-10 systems are
expected to cost less than LRIP variants and may include
modifications based on Operational Testing and Evaluation
results.
Future M-10 Fielding
The Army’s M-10 acquisition objective is for 504 systems
for the active Army and National Guard, with Army
https://crsreports.congress.gov
The Army’s M-10 Booker (Formerly Known as Mobile Protected Firepower [MPF]) System
officials reportedly noting that this number could vary
Source: Office of the Under Secretary of Defense
“slightly.” Under current Army plans, four M-10 battalions
(Comptrol er)/Chief Financial Officer, Program Acquisition Cost by
are to be fielded by 2030, with the bulk of the planned
Weapon System, United States Department of Defense Fiscal Year 2025
acquisition scheduled to be completed by 2035. Reportedly,
Budget Request, March 2024, p. 3-8.
the Army plans for the M-10 to enter service with the 10th
Notes: RDT&E = Research, Development, Test & Evaluation; $M =
Mountain Division at Ft. Drum, NY; the 82nd Airborne
U.S. dol ars in mil ions; Qty. = FY2025 procurement quantities.
Division at Ft. Liberty, NC; and the 101st Airborne Division
at Ft. Campbell, KY, starting the fourth quarter FY2025. It
According to DOD, FY2025 funds requested for the M-10
is not known if these active Army divisions will receive full
are intended to
M-10 battalions or smaller sized units such as companies.
[f]und completion of Booker [M-10] LRIP Phase
developmental and operational testing, production
Figure 1. GDLS M-10 Variant
of the initial FRP lot of 33 vehicles, maintenance of
system software, monitoring of potential system
obsolescence, engineering changes, management of
the Booker Technical Data Package (TDP), and
fielding of LRIP vehicles to the Booker First Unit
Equipped (FUE).
Considerations for Congress
Oversight questions Congress could consider include the
following.
Source: General Dynamics, “General Dynamics Land Systems Wins
2024 Army Force Structure Transformation and
U.S. Army Competition for Mobile Protected Firepower Vehicles,”
M-10 Units
June 29, 2022.
Reportedly, the Army is planning to create MPF battalions.
FY2022 Director, Operational Test and
From these battalions, MPF companies would then be
Evaluation Report
allocated to IBCTs. On February 27, 2024, the Army
announced “changes to its force structure that will
In January 2023, the Department of Defense’s Director,
modernize and continue to transform the service to better
Operational Test and Evaluation Report (DOT&E) issued
face future threats.” While the Army mentions the creation
its annual report on the previous fiscal year’s test and
of a number of units based on modernization programs, no
evaluation activities. The report notes the M-10’s progress
mention is made of M-10 units. Considering the M-10 is a
toward achieving operational effectiveness is “satisfactory.”
major modernization effort currently procuring systems, it
The report also noted, “Developmental testing found the M-
seems inconsistent that the Army would not include M-10
10 had high levels of toxic fumes when firing the main gun,
units in its 2024 Force Structure Transformation White
requiring modifications to crew procedures during firing to
Paper. Given this apparent omission, Congress might seek
mitigate the build-up of fumes in the turret.”
clarification with senior Army leadership on the status of
M-10 Testing
M-10 procurement and fielding to active Army and
National Guard units.
Reportedly, the M-10 is scheduled to begin a series of tests
to determine what modifications may be needed prior to full
M-10 Vulnerability to Unmanned Aerial Systems
rate production. In early July 2024, soldiers at Ft. Liberty,
(UAS) and Loitering Munitions
NC, are scheduled to begin new equipment training lasting
Reportedly, “heavy tank losses in Ukraine and other recent
through August or September 2024. If training is
conflicts from cheap loitering munitions and anti-tank
successful, in early January 2025, the M-10 is to be sent to
weapons have led to questions over their future utility.” In
an Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E) event
particular, one report notes,
to determine what near-term and long-term changes GDLS
will need to make to the system. The IOT&E test event, if
Ukrainian and Russian forces are scrambling to
successful, could result in a FRP decision in the April to
field countermeasures for protecting tanks against
June 2025 timeframe. Also, reportedly, in response to
one-way attack drones, which experts say are a
DOT&E’s January 2023 report, the Army and GDLS “have
growing challenge even for vehicles traveling at
worked on several vehicle fixes including two larger items:
speed. In the large category of unmanned aerial
toxic fumes and cooling.”
vehicles, the class of first-person-view drones,
essentially steerable miniature warheads, have
FY2025 M-10 Budgetary Information
emerged as a ubiquitous threat.
Table 1. FY2025 M-10 Budget Request
Given this threat and reported vulnerability, Congress might
Funding
Total Request
Total Request
further explore with the Army specific M-10 design
Category
($M)
(Qty.)
characteristics and countermeasures intended to address the
threat posed by UAS and loitering munitions.
RDT&E
$48.1
—
Procurement
$460.6
33
Andrew Feickert, Specialist in Military Ground Forces
IF11859
https://crsreports.congress.gov
The Army’s M-10 Booker (Formerly Known as Mobile Protected Firepower [MPF]) System
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF11859 · VERSION 14 · UPDATED