General Dynamics gets $323M production contract for Booker combat vehicles

General Dynamics Land Systems will build additional Booker combat vehicles for the Army in the low-rate initial production phase, the Defense Department announced Thursday.

In a modification to an earlier contract, the Michigan-based company will manufacture the M10 Booker for approximately $322.7 million by an estimated completion date of Oct. 20, 2026, with the work taking place in Sterling Heights, MI; Anniston, AL; and Lima, OH, the announcement reads.

Providing firepower similar to an Abrams main battle tank combined with the mobility of a Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle, the M10 Booker is designed to provide infantry units with direct-fire capability against entrenchments and hardened targets.

General Dynamics received earlier contracts in June 2023 and January 2024, after winning the initial LRIP contract.

In July, the Army will begin a four-month operational testing phase on 13 of 24 initial production vehicles, which will inform the decision on a full-rate production contract, Inside Defense reported this week.

The remaining 11 will be used for separate tests to assess the vehicle’s survivability, reliability and maintainability as well as production qualification testing that focuses on automotive, lethality, cyber and other capabilities.

According to September 2023 figures from the Government Accountability Office, the M10 Booker program is priced at $7.2 billion, with per-unit costs pegged at $19 million.

The Army plans to procure 504 vehicles by 2035 for the active-duty Army and National Guard.