Transformation Stalled: Lessons from Scrapped M10 Booker Project

Headline: The Army's Shift Towards Drone-Integrated Vehicles: A Response to the Changing Landscape of Modern Warfare

The drone war is no longer a distant future, but a present reality. As the Army grapples with this new era, the question arises: adapt or be left behind.

At DSEI 2025, Singapore's ST Engineering unveiled the Light Assault Tank Ecosystem (LAT-E), a revolutionary concept that promises to redefine battlefield dynamics. The LAT-E, featuring an integrated sensor-to-shooter ecosystem, is expected to be developed as a family of manned and unmanned platforms designed to operate as nodes in a sensor-driven, networked kill web.

However, not all attempts at modernisation have been successful. The M10 Booker, a mobile protected firepower vehicle, was cancelled after fielding testing. The M10 Booker, designed to provide direct fire capability to U.S. Army's infantry brigade combat teams, was not built to adapt to a drone-saturated, electronic warfare-contested modern battlefield.

The M10 Booker's downfall can be attributed to its lack of network integration and a robust support ecosystem. It also failed to minimise its detectability, a crucial factor in modern warfare where a platform's survivability is no longer about thick steel, but about being hard to detect. The war in Ukraine has highlighted this importance, as cheap, expendable drones have demonstrated their ability to destroy million-dollar tanks with ease.

Mobility in modern warfare is less about terrain negotiation and more about strategic lift and tactical agility in complex, cluttered environments. The LAT-E, designed to be transportable by C-130 aircraft, emphasises strategic mobility, contrasting the M10 Booker, which was heavier than planned, making it incompatible with transport by C-130 Hercules aircraft.

In the future, manned vehicles should be paired with drones to extend reach and multiply effect. The crew should manage sensors, control drones, and exploit the battlefield network in real time. Manned vehicles in the LAT-E can launch and recover drones, which serve as their eyes and, in many cases, their weapons.

Approximately 80 M10 Booker vehicles had been procured, but their legacy is a reminder of the risks associated with the Army's traditional acquisition system. Platforms like the M10 Booker, validated on paper but outpaced by the real fight, underscore the need for a more adaptive approach to military modernisation.

The LAT-E, with its focus on agility, dispersion, and deception for protection, rather than armor mass, represents a step forward in this direction. It's a clear indication that the Army is ready to embrace the drone war, rather than be left behind.