M247 Sergent York

M247 Sergent York
Pays	Usa
Rôle	Canon antiaérien automoteur de 40 mm
Conçu	1977–1985
Construit	50

Galerie de photos d’un sergent M247 York, Le M247 Sergent York est basé sur le châssis de char moyen M48A5 Patton. Il est propulsé par le moteur diesel Continental AVDS-1790-2D, développant 750 chevaux. Le M247 est équipé de canons antiaériens bofors jumeaux de 40 mm entièrement stabilisés. Ces canons ont amélioré la cadence de tir. Le véhicule peut tirer avec précision en déplacement. Le M247 tire des obus HE et HE-FRAG contre des cibles aériennes et des obus AP contre des véhicules blindés. Au total, 580 cartouches sont transportées. Le rechargement prend moins de 15 minutes.

Source: M247 sur Wikipédia

M247 Sergeant York
Photographe	Unknow
Localisation	Inconnu
Photos	93

M247 Sergeant York 01

M247 Sergeant York 02

M247 Sergeant York 03

M247 Sergeant York 04

M247 Sergeant York 05

M247 Sergeant York 06

M247 Sergeant York 07

M247 Sergeant York 09

M247 Sergeant York 08

Click on a photo and use the mouse scroll to view all photos

Attendez, la recherche M247 Sergent York pour vous...

M247 Sergeant York Walk Around
Photographe	Cal Cochran
Localisation	Inconnu
Photos	47

M247 Sergeant York 01

M247 Sergeant York 02

M247 Sergeant York 03

M247 Sergeant York 04

M247 Sergeant York 05

M247 Sergeant York 06

M247 Sergeant York 07

M247 Sergeant York 08

M247 Sergeant York 09

Click on a photo and use the mouse scroll to view all photos

Voir aussi :

The Shield that Never Stood

Lla M247 Sergent York is one of the most famous « what-if » failures in US military history. Designed in the late 1970s to protect mechanized divisions from Soviet attack helicopters and jets, it combined an M48 Patton tank chassis with twin 40mm Bofors cannons and a radar system derived from the F-16 fighter. While it looked formidable, the project was plagued by technical glitches, massive cost overruns, and embarrassing performance during live-fire trials. It was ultimately canceled in 1985 by Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger after only 50 units were produced.

Attribute	Technical Specification (M247)
Rôle	Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun (SPAAG)
Crew	3 (Commandant, Artilleur, Pilote)
Armement principal	2 × 40 mm Bofors L/70 autocannons
Chassis	Modified M48A5 Patton tank hull
Radar System	Westinghouse AN/APG-66 (Pulse-Doppler)
Rate of Fire	600 rounds per minute (combined)
moteur	Continental AVDS-1790-2D V12 diesel (750 hp)
Statut	Project canceled in 1985

Design Engineering: Frankenstein’s Turret

The F-16 Radar Graft: To save money, Ford Aerospace used the AN/APG-66 radar from the F-16. However, a radar designed for the sky struggled to differentiate between low-flying helicopters and ground clutter (trees, hills, and even latrine fans).
Proximity Fuzed Ammo: The Sergeant York was intended to use advanced 40mm shells that didn’t need a direct hit; they would explode near a target to shred it with shrapnel. This made the 40mm Bofors far more lethal against agile helicopters than traditional « hit-to-kill » rounds.
Chassis Mismatch: Using the aging M48 Patton chassis was a double-edged sword. It was readily available, but it was much slower than the M1 Abrams and M2 Bradley it was supposed to protect, meaning the anti-aircraft shield would have been left behind in a fast-moving armored dash.
Turret Weight: The massive armored turret was so heavy that it strained the M48’s hydraulic traverse systems, leading to slow response times when trying to track high-speed jets.

A History of Trials and Errors

Lla « Latrine » Incident: During a high-profile demonstration for officials, the M247’s radar reportedly locked onto a spinning exhaust fan on a nearby latrine instead of the target drone, highlighting its inability to filter out ground interference.
Target Tracking Failures: In live-fire tests, the system struggled to hit targets that were moving even slightly, and in one infamous test, it reportedly aimed its guns at the reviewing stand where the brass was sitting.
The Legacy of Failure: The M247’s cancellation left the US Army without a heavy gun-based air defense system for decades. This gap was eventually filled by the M6 Linebacker (a Bradley with Stinger missiles) and later the M-SHORAD Stryker.
Museum Pieces: Almost all M247s were used as targets on firing ranges. Only a few survive today in museums, such as the Sgt. York at the Sargeant York State Historic Park in Tennessee.