When they arrive at Fort Carson you can bet I’ll have detail shots and more. Unless I can find another reason to go to Bragg first.
2 Likes
Thanks Rob. I knew you’d come through.
I missed my chance Thanksgiving week at Ft. Benning. I had the whole facility to myself, with a Booker and the newest Abrams there, but I was hyperfocused on just one vehicle.
4 Likes
Mine just arrived after traveling by camel from pre-order to my house in just over 5 months. 
I look forward to starting this build. It is in the build que …
2 Likes
Did the camel bite or kick the box?
1 Like
The MPF on Fort Benning is the BAE candidate (and loser) for the MPF program. It is interesting, was driven into position, and is not demilled. I’ve spent a bit of time in it.
1 Like
Well that’s good to know. I was asked to get photos of the engine (after my trip) for the Magic Factory. Looks like I didn’t miss out after all.
1 Like
The M10 Booker combat vehicle is powered by an MTU 8V199 TE-22 diesel engine, delivering 800 horsepower, paired with an Allison 3040 MX transmission.
The BAE prototype was (iirc) a 580+ hp (430 kW) at 2,400 rpm diesel MTU 6V199 TE21 developing 550 hp on JP-8 fuel and 585 hp on diesel fuel , which replaced the discontinued Detroit Diesel Series 92 engine on M8 AGS. The BAE is externally very similar to the M8 Buford.
Same engine manufacturer, but two extra cylinders on the GDLS M10.
3 Likes
That’s great info, but they want photos to do an engine for the kit. I should be seeing the fielded ones soon enough, so that’ll be my chance. Before that there’s, nope, don’t wanna ruin the surprise.
1 Like
There might be one at the TACOM building, but the best place for pics is probably the 82 AA MPF unit, which has received a unit set for one Company iirc. Unlike the BAE, the GDLS uses a drop-in pack.
For marketing and general layout, look here:
MTU 8V199 TE22
The M10 engine is front-mounted, and not readily visible in a walk-around. Recommend you get with 82d AA PAO and see about getting up with 73d Armor.
2 Likes
That makes sense that the M8 AGS’s engine is about 2/3rds the horsepower (550-585 HP) of the M10 Booker’s 800 HP as the M8 AGS is about 2/3rds the weight of the around 40-ton M10 Booker.
3 Likes
No teeth or hoof marks seen …
1 Like
Awesome!
1 Like
If you notice the M10 looks different than the kit
the skirts come down lower on the production variant as seen in the pic also there is a stowage bin in front of the spare wheel
2 Likes
According to a memo by SECDEF, production has to be stopped.
https://breakingdefense.com/2025/05/hegseth-orders-transformation-of-us-army-combining-offices-and-cutting-roles/
Without getting political, I totally don’t agree at all. I can bore people with the details later on, but I wouldn’t want to be this SECDEF. To make repeated mistakes on the job, a US Public Servant job, just to save money…
1 Like
While I am no fan of the SecDef, I’m not opposed to ending the M10. I haven’t seen much sense in the ‘light tank’ concept when we have Strykers and Bradleys to kill things smaller than enemy MBTs and Abrams’ for the big targets. This thing is too big for Airborne and too small for the Armored folks.
There are also unconfirmed and unverified reports that the radios in the M10 Booker are outdated because it took so long to field. Now they say that only one M10 per C-17 instead of two, so that kind of defeats the purpose or rapid deployment in numbers because the M10 weighs in at 42 tons, not 40 tons, so two M10s and an additional four tons for two M10s makes a big difference, apparently, in that new USAF weight restrictions mean one M10 Booker per C-17.
Yes, there’s transformational UGVs like this one that can replace the M10 Booker, but will it be fielded?
1 Like
