An Ineffective System: The M247 Sergeant York

by Russell Phillips

In the 1970s, the US Army decided that it needed a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, similar to the West German Gepard or Soviet ZSU-23-4. The result was the M247 Sergeant York.


This article describes the M247 itself, the procurement process, and all the problems that eventually led to Caspar Weinberger describing it as "basically an ineffective system" when he announced its cancellation in 1985.

ebook

First published July 6, 2011

About the author

Russell Phillips writes military history and RPG books. Born and brought up in a mining village in South Yorkshire, they have lived and worked in South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Cumbria and Staffordshire. Russell has always had a deep interest in history and conflicts all over the world, and enjoys sharing their knowledge with others through clear, factual accounts which shine a light on events of the past.

Their articles have been published in Miniature Wargames, Wargames Illustrated, The Wargames Website, and the Society of Twentieth Century Wargamers' Journal. They have been interviewed on WW2TV, BBC Radio Stoke, The WW2 Podcast, and Cold War Conversations. They currently live in Stoke-on-Trent with their wife and two children.