Mobile Protected Firepower

[1] The projected vehicle has been designated the M10 Booker,[2] and will according to description essentially serve the role of an assault gun.

[7] MPF is similar in purpose to the M8 Armored Gun System light tank, the intended replacement for the M551 Sheridan, which the Army canceled due to budget considerations in 1996.

In 2018 the Army selected bids from General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) and BAE Systems—for further evaluation for the MPF requirement.

The Army recognized the poor performance of the M551 Sheridan light tank in Vietnam and began the process of retiring the vehicle in 1977.

[10] After a series of false starts, in June 1992 the Army selected FMC's XM8 Armored Gun System (AGS) to go into low-rate initial production.

[16] In 1999, Army Chief of Staff Eric Shinseki laid out his vision for a lighter, more transportable force.

[17] The Army began the Interim Armored Vehicle (IAV) program to implement Shinseki's concept.

According to an Army Futures Command official, as of 2021, one of the two competing team's bids was potentially light enough to airdrop due to its "significantly" lighter weight.

The design paired CMI's Cockerill 305 turret to an ST Kinetics Next Generation Armored Fighting Vehicle hull.

The assessment phase began in January 2021 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, with testing scheduled to run through June 2021.

In March 2022, BAE was reportedly disqualified from the competition due to "noncompliance issues", leaving GDLS as the only remaining option.

[30] As of January 2023, delivery of the first LRIP MPF system is expected in 19 months, and Initial Operational Testing and Evaluation (IOT & E) is planned for the end of FY2024.

[2] The M10 Booker is an armored vehicle that is intended to support our Infantry Brigade Combat Teams by suppressing and destroying fortifications, gun systems and trench routes, and then secondarily providing protection against enemy armored vehicles.As of 2023, there is a limited quantity of serviceable 105 mm ammunition for MPF training and operational use.