1980`s video of M247 Sgt. York prototypes evaluated in a combined arms scenario.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvwCMd4q2AI

Looks like an M60A2 to me.

You lost me here...
I'm still trying to find anything looking like an M60A2 in the video.

I remember this system. It seems like it was using the radar from the F-16; but couldn't hit squat so the Army killed it.

It never saw production.

Hello gentlemen. I was surprised to learn that there were approximately fifty (50) M-247's produced. None of these entered service and have wound up in various places from museums, public displays, target ranges and lined up to delineate a border of a military reservation in New Mexico.

The museums at Fort Sill, Oklahoma and Camp Robinson, Arkansas each have one on display if y'all get the chance to visit those states.

Thanks for sharing the information from YouTube.

Respectfully,
Allen

5:33 to 5:43 shows a few M60A3's. No A2's though.

Not paying much attention at the time, I failed to realize the Sgt York was being tested at the same time the M1 Abrams and M2 Bradley were out.

Using that old school diesel powered chassis just doesn't make sense, not to mention it couldn't hit a target.

G

There are two near Jamestown, Tennessee. One at the birthplace of Alvin C. York and one on Hwy 127 at the National Guard building.

Shame they put Alvin York's name on a hunk of junk like the M247.

The story is that at a test at Ft Bliss in front of a bunch of brass the radar locked on to the spinning fan blades of a generator and that little demo cost it a lot of it's support.

Hello Ed,

I that is good to know. I am always trying to figure out if there are military displays in the vicinity when we get out and about.

Thanks for letting us know,

Allen

While in the WTU at Fort Sill, I did an internship at the Air Defense Artillery Museum as an exhibits specialist and had a few conversations with Jon Bernstein (the director of the museum) about the M247. Basically apparently to cut costs, they took the radar system from an F16 for use for the SGT York. The vibrations from rough field use of armor vehicles is just not good for a system that is not designed to take that kind of abuse hence the failure of the system. The one we have is one of the later prototypes.

Cheers,
James

I too have had the pleasure of meeting with Jon and agree. There was also the small problem of it using an off the shelf M48 chassis to push it around in the era of the Abrams. It never stood a chance.

Comparable systems like ZSU used a light AFV frame, not one from an MBT, or in the case of the Gepard had a solid frame at least as mobile as the tanks it was to support.

Also, it didn't help the m247 when it was leaked that during a demo, the gun swung towards the VIP stand and scared the [auto-censored] out of the VIP, and the target had to be rigged to explode by remote control.

The SGT York ADA system - take existing systems and put them together to make an ADA gun system. Three of the systems were the F-16 Radar, twin Bofors 40mm cannons, and the M48A5 chassis. Sounds good on 'paper', but....

It was a very large vehicle, taller than an M60 tank (and IIRC heavier); the acquisition radar rotated, giving the vehicle away in even in hide positions, and the electronic suite was extensive, that the M48A5 power system was not up to giving the SGT York full power when it went into find, fix and fire ADA missions. This led to the system not working very well and locking in on viewing stands and port-a-potties. And as some here as mentioned, its mobility was not much better than the Vulcan ADA vehicle. It was an expensive piece of equipment.

So, in December, 1985, the SGT York was cancelled. Would have worked better on an Abrams tank chassis? Better mobility and better power system, who knows?

The US Army has gone all ADA missile, there was the M6 Linebacker on a Bradley Fighting Vehicle, but those have been removed and converted, and the Avenger ADA system on a HMMWV is the maneuver forces main ADA system.

Here's to the US Air Force having air superiority....

The Sgt. York story reminds me of the old saying that a Camel was a Horse designed by a committee. As for "air superiority" well, we (the US) haven't fought a war in which we didn't have air supremacy since Korea.

"The US Army has gone all ADA missile" Not quite. The Army's Avenger system still has a throwback MG on it -- the FN made M3P .50cal MG -- super high rate of fire.