As the US Army unleashed the M10 Booker in full force, fierce debate erupted if it needed to exist in present-day warfare or if it is an outdated concept. Official ways are saying that the “light tank” term should be avoided at all costs, but skeptics still push against the M10 Booker as a relic.
There is also the question of vulnerability, as expressed by its lack of success in battle, looking at how other light tanks performed similarly in Ukraine.
At $1.14 billion for 96 copies, the monies spent on the M10 Booker would be better exhausted on emerging technologies, such as cyber warfare, unmanned systems, and long-range precision strikes. The M10 Booker is also one of the supporting vehicles of the infantry brigade combat teams.
It is a mobile, protected direct fire capability. It is designed to destroy and demoralize fortifications, gun systems, and routes of trenches and protect from enemy armored vehicles. The Booker is equipped with a 105mm main gun and an array of sophisticated sensors and communication facilities.
The critics argue that the capability in M10 Booker is redundant. It is supposed to fill in capability gaps that the army possesses and fill in a light tank option for the support of infantry brigades.
However, what the M10 offers is nothing new that older vehicles at cheaper prices in the Army’s inventory don’t already possess. This does precisely what the M10 is supposed to do: the Abrams Main Battle Tank and the Stryker Mobile Gun System.
The M10 Booker is not free either from operational issues. Its smaller and lighter build compared to the M1 Abrams makes it more vulnerable to enemy fire.
The reduced armor protection and firepower of the M10 Booker may even make it ineffective in some combat situations such as the one currently experienced in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the UK and Germany have outlined plans to jointly develop the RCH 155, a remote-controlled howitzer 155mm wheeled artillery system mounted on Boxer armored vehicles.
The plan was announced during a recent meeting between Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin. The Ministry of Defence said the new artillery systems to be constructed both in the UK and Germany will strengthen the defense manufacturing sectors of those nations and promote job creation.
Both countries need a system that will create a considerable increase in ground warfare capabilities for the armed forces of both nations. According to defense officials, the collaboration is arriving at a very crucial time for Europe, with renewed security challenges currently facing the continent. The system is designed to provide a significant enhancement in ground warfare capabilities for both countries.
Prime Minister Sunak underlined the importance of the partnership by saying, “The UK and Germany are European powerhouses. Together, we are stronger – whether that is defending against Russian aggression or driving economic growth and technological advance. Today we are opening a new chapter in our relationship, one that will make us safer and more prosperous. At this dangerous moment for the world, the UK and Germany are standing side by side to preserve security and prosperity at home and across our continent.”
The RCH 155, also known as the Remote-Controlled Howitzer 155 mm, is a leap forward in artillery technological prowess. Developed and built by the German defense company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW), the RCH 155 is a derivative of the Panzerhaubitze 2000 and the Donar artillery system, with a Boxer chassis.
RCH 155 is a very potent system that is nearly highly automated. It works with minimal human intervention. Its automation allows it to fire on the move first for many thereby significantly enhancing its effective operating time by keeping the vehicle stationary for less time, thus keeping it less vulnerable to enemy fire.
The RCH 155 uses an MTU 8V199 TE21 diesel engine that can produce up to 816 horsepower. It can go as fast as 103 km/h in a road setting and has an operational range of 700 km. It holds 30 fused rounds and 144 modular propellants, at a top rate of fire of 9 rounds per minute. The NBC system protects the crew from heavy machine gun fire, artillery fragments, and mines, and is ready with protection.