$1 Billion and 80 Tanks Delivered — So Why Did the US Army Pull the Plug?
The Steel Republic
8,703 views
$1 Billion and 80 Tanks Delivered — So Why Did the US Army Pull the Plug?
In 1989, 10 M551 Sheridans were parachuted into Panama during Operation Just Cause — the only tank ever dropped into a combat operation. The US Army then spent almost 60 years trying to replace it. The Sheridan's aluminum hull let it fall from an aircraft, but in Vietnam mines and RPGs made it pay for that choice; of 88,000 Shillelagh missiles, only 6 were ever fired in combat. Around 330 Sheridans ended their careers at Fort Irwin disguised as Soviet T-72s, T-80s and BMPs. Successor after successor — the 1976 research program, the HSTV-L, the M8 Armored Gun System cancelled in 1996, the Stryker M1128 stand-in — never delivered a true light tank. In 2022 General Dynamics won a contract worth up to $1.14 billion for Mobile Protected Firepower, and in June 2023 the vehicle became the M10 Booker. On May 2, 2025, Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll cancelled it after roughly 80 deliveries out of a planned 500. Why? Because a requirement removed in 2015 turned the Army's air-droppable light tank into a 38 to 42 ton vehicle that only a C-17 could carry, 1 per aircraft.
Music:
Eyes of Glory — Aakash Gandhi
Photos and videos: archive.org, dvidshub.net; Publicly available.
0:00 10 Sheridans Dropped Over Panama
5:26 88,000 Missiles, Only 6 Fired
10:51 330 Sheridans Disguised as Soviet Tanks
15:46 The $1.14 Billion Non-Tank
20:59 42-Ton Booker Cancelled in 2025
20 Comments
Because the M10 Booker from General Dynamics Land Systems weighed as much as a T-72 MBT, was less protected and had less firepower than an MBT, cost as much as an MBT, was not air-droppable (as originally specified) and required the same transport cargo space as an MBT while not being an MBT. It was Taxpayer bacon that was spoon-fed to the MIC giant GDLS that is always happy to fleece the American taxpayer. The BAE candidate, based on the previously adopted M8 AGS "Buford", would have been a better choice (and was still air-droppable in base form), but GDLS likely offered a better free lunch program for the military personnel making selection decisions for this defense program.
But seriously, the amount of corruption in the U.S. Procurement system needs to be adressed more aggressively ! Some ,or Most of those Asses should be in jail !!!
Or better yet, bring back the M48A5 105mm Patton Tank. Strip off some of the heavy armor, replace the old engine with a new hybrid Diesel/Electric engine, update the fire-control system and environmental systems, and make the main gun an autoloader, and you have a new lightweight infantry support system.
$1 Billion and 80 Tanks Delivered — So Why Did the US Army Pull the Plug?
The Steel Republic
8,703 views
$1 Billion and 80 Tanks Delivered — So Why Did the US Army Pull the Plug?
In 1989, 10 M551 Sheridans were parachuted into Panama during Operation Just Cause — the only tank ever dropped into a combat operation. The US Army then spent almost 60 years trying to replace it. The Sheridan's aluminum hull let it fall from an aircraft, but in Vietnam mines and RPGs made it pay for that choice; of 88,000 Shillelagh missiles, only 6 were ever fired in combat. Around 330 Sheridans ended their careers at Fort Irwin disguised as Soviet T-72s, T-80s and BMPs. Successor after successor — the 1976 research program, the HSTV-L, the M8 Armored Gun System cancelled in 1996, the Stryker M1128 stand-in — never delivered a true light tank. In 2022 General Dynamics won a contract worth up to $1.14 billion for Mobile Protected Firepower, and in June 2023 the vehicle became the M10 Booker. On May 2, 2025, Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll cancelled it after roughly 80 deliveries out of a planned 500. Why? Because a requirement removed in 2015 turned the Army's air-droppable light tank into a 38 to 42 ton vehicle that only a C-17 could carry, 1 per aircraft.
Music:
Eyes of Glory — Aakash Gandhi
Photos and videos: archive.org, dvidshub.net; Publicly available.
0:00 10 Sheridans Dropped Over Panama
5:26 88,000 Missiles, Only 6 Fired
10:51 330 Sheridans Disguised as Soviet Tanks
15:46 The $1.14 Billion Non-Tank
20:59 42-Ton Booker Cancelled in 2025