The U.S. has canceled three major weapons programs in the past 20 years. The F-22 Raptor was capped at 187 airframes — 194 fewer than the originally planned 381. Then-Secretary of Defense Bob Gates killed the production line in 2009. The M10 Booker light tank was supposed to replace the Bradley Fighting Vehicle. At 42 tons, the Booker proved too heavy for air-deployable use. It was plagued by toxic gas filling the turret after main gun firing. The program was canceled. The Zumwalt-class stealth destroyer was originally planned at 32 ships. Only 3 were built. The Zumwalt’s Advanced Gun System (AGS) costs $800,000 per shot. The AGS/LRLAP system failed. The Zumwalts are now being repurposed for Conventional Prompt Strike hypersonic missiles.
The U.S. Military Keeps Canceling Weapons Platform After Weapons Platform
A live fire demonstration of the Army’s newest and most modernized combat vehicle, the M10 Booker, marks the conclusion of the M10 Booker Dedication Ceremony at Aberdeen Proving Ground, in Aberdeen, Md., April 18, 2024. (U.S. Army photo by Cpl. Jonathon Downs)
PD1 – Delivery of First Production Vehicle M10 Booker Combat Vehicle. Image Credit: U.S. Army.
One of the cool things about being a lifelong military history and technology buff (and now being blessed enough to get paid to write about it) is keeping track of all of the amazing hi-tech weapon systems that come down the pike.
To cite just a couple of examples, this writer was in middle school in the waning years of the Cold War when the U.S. government officially unveiled the F-117 Nighthawk stealth “fighter” (that wasn’t really a fighter after all) and the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber (that really was and still is a bomber).
Today, there’s much excitement (and controversy) about the upcoming F-47 NGAD 6th-generation fighter jet and the Trump-class battleships.
However, there’s also an unfortunate flip side: all too many seemingly promising weapon systems that were either stillborn (i.e., canceled before ever attaining production status), underproduced, or produced in substantial numbers but then failed to live up to expectations.
These setbacks, in turn, have compelled the U.S. Armed Forces to continue relying on weapons that are time-honored and battle-proven but also aging and long in the tooth.
What’s going on, and how much longer can the U.S. military sustain these?
We’ll take a look at several examples.
Example #1: The F-22 Raptor
F-22 Raptor Fighter. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
F-22 Raptor. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Speaking for myself as a former U.S. Air Force officer, this one really hits home for me.
The F-22 made history as the world’s first 5th Generation stealth fighter (an actual fighter plane this time, built by the same prestigious Lockheed Martin “Skunk Works” division that built the F-117), and despite its relative age, many experts still consider it to be the best air superiority fighter in the world.
Oddly enough, you can find one sitting already at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, and we have the photos below to show you. The good news on the F-22 is clear. Thus far, it has proven its worth.
The problem? Not enough of them were built, and we can’t build more now.
We’ve got former Secretary of Defense Bob Gates to thank for that, who made the incredibly boneheaded decision back in 2009 to kill the F-22 Raptor program after only 187 airframes were built out of the original 381 planned.
Luckily, we’ve still got another Gen 5 stealth fighter to fall back on, that being the F-35 Lightning II (yet another Skunk Works product).
But though the F-35 is a top-notch multirole warbird that has earned its own spurs in combat multiple times over, it doesn’t have the pure dogfighting capabilities that the Raptor does.
Example #2: The M10 Booker
Aka the “light tank” that wasn’t a light tank.
The Booker had a proud namesake, named in honor of (1) Pvt. Robert D. Booker, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor after being killed under heavy machine-gun fire in the vicinity of Fondouk, Tunisia, on April 9, 1943, and (2) Staff Sgt. Stevon A. Booker, who was killed in Iraq on April 5, 2003, during the Thunder Run in Baghdad, was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (the Army’s second-highest honor).
The M10 was intended as the successor to the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, which has faithfully served as the U.S. Army’s mainstay armored fighting vehicle (AFV) and infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) since 1981.
A live fire demonstration of the Army’s newest and most modernized combat vehicle, the M10 Booker, marks the conclusion of the M10 Booker Dedication Ceremony at Aberdeen Proving Ground, in Aberdeen, Md., April 18, 2024. (U.S. Army photo by Cpl. Jonathon Downs)
Unfortunately, the Booker program received the kibosh due to excessive weight; at 42 tons, it was too heavy for its air-deployable “light tank” role, offering tank-like weight without tank-like protection. In addition, the Booker was plagued by safety issues, including toxic gas filling the turret after the main gun was fired.
Ergo, the M10 was canceled, and the Bradley will have to keep soldiering on, despite its own vulnerabilities.
Example #3: The Zumwalt-Class Destroyers
Named for one of the most beloved officers ever to hold the position of Chief of Naval Operations—that being Admiral Elmo Russell “Bud” Zumwalt Jr. (November 29, 1920 – January 2, 2000)—these guided missile destroyers (DDGs) initially showed a lot of promise as “stealth destroyers.”
However, the originally planned fleet of 32 ships was pared down to three.
These ships were plagued by (yep, you guessed it) cost overruns and technical failures.
(Dec. 8, 2016) The guided-missile destroyer USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) arrives at its new homeport in San Diego. Zumwalt, the Navy’s most technologically advanced surface ship, will now begin installation of combat systems, testing and evaluation and operation integration with the fleet. (U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Emiline L. M. Senn/Released)
The Navy’s newest and most technologically advanced warship, USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000), is moored to the pier during a commissioning ceremony at North Locust Point in Baltimore. (U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Nathan Laird/Released)
The biggest culprit was the 155mm Advanced Gun System (AGS) turrets, which were theoretically capable of firing GPS-guided Long-Range Land Attack Projectiles (LRLAP) at ranges of over 53.99 nautical miles (62.1 statute miles; 100 kilometers).
However, in practice, the AGS/LRLAP duo failed to live up to these lofty expectations, and, to make matters worse, the ammo cost $ 800,000 per shot!
Fortunately, the Zumwalts are getting a new lease on life, thanks to the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic missile system. Perhaps new missile missions will also save another disappointing USN warship class, the Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) (the recently stymied Constellation-class cruisers probably won’t be so lucky).
Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy continues to make do with the reliable Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.
So Then, What’s the Problem?
The short (and admittedly somewhat oversimplified) answer is the Pentagon’s arcane, convoluted, and discombobulated acquisition process (described in agonizing detail by Hedrick Smith in his Pulitzer Prize-winning book “The Power Game: How Washington Works”), which leads to seemingly interminable delays and those oh-so-dreaded and oh-so-cliched “cost overruns.”
Since Pete Hegseth assumed his current position as U.S. Secretary of War, he has made it one of his chief goals to improve on that mishmash. Needless to say, Secretary Hegseth faces an uphill battle.
But there’s at least one tentatively hopeful sign of incremental progress being made toward his goal: back in January, the Army officially unveiled the first early prototype of the M1E3—the latest & greatest addition of the M1 Abrams MBT—at the Detroit Auto Show, thus accomplishing a mockup years ahead of the program’s original schedule.
A minor miracle in and of itself, and a hopeful contrast to another once-promising weapon gone by the wayside, the M1A2 Abrams SEPv4.
About the Author: Christian D. Orr, Defense Expert
Christian D. Orr is a Senior Defense Editor. He is a former Air Force Security Forces officer, Federal law enforcement officer, and private military contractor (with assignments worked in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kosovo, Japan, Germany, and the Pentagon). Chris holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Southern California (USC) and an M.A. in Intelligence Studies (with a concentration in Terrorism Studies) from American Military University (AMU). He is also the author of the book “Five Decades of a Fabulous Firearm: Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Beretta 92 Pistol Series,” the second edition of which was recently published.
