The Lockheed S-3 Viking is a four-seat, twin-engine turbofan-powered jet aircraft that was used by the U.S. Navy to identify and track enemy submarines. In the late 1990s, the S-3B’s mission focus shifted to surface warfare and aerial refuelling. The Viking also provided electronic warfare and surface surveillance capabilities to the carrier battle group. A carrier-based, subsonic, all-weather, multi-mission aircraft with long range; it carried automated weapon systems, and was capable of extended missions with in-flight refuelling. Because of the Viking’s engines’ low-pitched sound, it was nicknamed the “Hoover” after the vacuum cleaner brand.
The S-3 was retired from front-line fleet service aboard aircraft carriers by the US Navy in January 2009, with its missions being assumed by other platforms such as the P-3C Orion, Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk, and Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. Several aircraft were flown by Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Thirty (VX-30) at Naval Base Ventura County / NAS Point Mugu, California for range clearance and surveillance operations on the NAVAIR Point Mugu Range until 2016, and one S-3 is operated by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) at the NASA Glenn Research Centre.
The S-3 is a conventional monoplane with a high-mounted cantilever wing, swept at an angle of 15°. The two GE TF-34 high-bypass turbofan engines mounted in nacelles under the wings provide excellent fuel efficiency, giving the Viking the required long range and endurance, while maintaining docile engine-out characteristics.
The aircraft can seat four crew members, three officers and one enlisted aircrew man, with the pilot and the co-pilot/tactical coordinator (COTAC) in the front of the cockpit and the tactical coordinator (TACCO) and sensor operator (SENSO) in the back. Entry is by an entry door / ladder which folds out of the side of the fuselage. When the aircraft’s anti-submarine warfare (ASW) role ended in the late 1990s, the enlisted SENSOs were removed from the crew. In the tanking crew configuration, the S-3B typically flew with only a crew of two (pilot and co-pilot/COTAC). The wing is fitted with leading edge and Fowler flaps. Spoilers are fitted to both the upper and the lower surfaces of the wings. All control surfaces are actuated by dual hydraulically boosted irreversible systems. In the event of dual hydraulic failures, an Emergency Flight Control System (EFCS) permits manual control with greatly increased stick forces and reduced control authority.
All crew members sit on forward-facing, upward-firing Douglas Escapac zero-zero ejection seats. In “group eject” mode, initiating ejection from either front seat ejects the entire crew in sequence, with the back seats ejecting 0.5 seconds before the front in order to provide safe separation. The rear seats are capable of self ejection, and the ejection sequence includes a pyrotechnic charge that stows the rear keyboard trays out of the occupants’ way immediately before ejection. Safe ejection requires the seats to be weighted in pairs, and when flying with a single crewman in the back the unoccupied seat is fitted with ballast blocks.
The aircraft has two under wing hard points that can be used to carry fuel tanks, general purpose and cluster bombs, missiles, rockets, and storage pods. It also has four internal bomb bay stations that can be used to carry general purpose bombs, aerial torpedoes, and special stores (B57 and B61 nuclear weapons). Fifty-nine sono-buoy chutes are fitted, as well as a dedicated Search and Rescue (SAR) chute. The S-3 is fitted with the ALE-39 countermeasure system and can carry up to 90 rounds of chaff, flares, and expendable jammers (or a combination of all) in three dispensers. A retractable magnetic anomaly detector (MAD) Boom is fitted in the tail.
In the late 1990s, the S-3B’s role was changed from anti-submarine warfare (ASW) to anti-surface warfare (ASuW). At that time, the MAD Boom was removed, along with several hundred pounds of submarine detection electronics. With no remaining sono-buoy processing capability, most of the sono-buoy chutes were faired over with a blanking plate.
On 20 February 1974, the S-3A officially became operational with the Air Antisubmarine Squadron FORTY-ONE (VS-41), the “Shamrocks,” at NAS North Island, California, which served as the initial S-3 Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) for both the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets until a separate Atlantic Fleet FRS, VS-27, was established in the 1980s. The first operational cruise of the S-3A took place in 1975 with the VS-21 “Fighting Redtails” aboard USS John F. Kennedy.
Starting in 1987, some S-3As were upgraded to S-3B standard with the addition of a number of new sensors, avionics, and weapons systems, including the capability to launch the AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile. The S-3B could also be fitted with “buddy stores”, external fuel tanks that allowed the Viking to refuel other aircraft. In July 1988, VS-30 became the first fleet squadron to receive the enhanced capability Harpoon/ISAR equipped S-3B, based at NAS Cecil Field in Jacksonville, Florida. 16 S-3As were converted to ES-3A Shadows for carrier-based electronic intelligence (ELINT) duties. Six aircraft, designated US-3A, were converted for a specialized utility and limited cargo COD requirement. Plans were also made to develop the KS-3A carrier-based tanker aircraft, but this program was ultimately cancelled after the conversion of just one early development S-3A.
With the collapse of the Soviet Union and the breakup of the Warsaw Pact, the Soviet-Russian submarine threat was perceived as much reduced, and the Vikings had the majority of their antisubmarine warfare equipment removed. The aircraft’s mission subsequently changed to sea surface search, sea and ground attack, over-the-horizon targeting, and aircraft refuelling. As a result, the S-3B after 1997 was typically crewed by one pilot and one co-pilot : the additional seats in the S-3B could still support additional crew members for certain missions. To reflect these new missions the Viking squadrons were re-designated from “Air Antisubmarine Warfare Squadrons” to “Sea Control Squadrons.”
The S-3B saw extensive service during the 1991 Gulf War, performing attack, tanker, and ELINT duties, and launching ADM-141 TALD decoys. This was the first time an S-3B was employed overland during an offensive air strike. The first mission occurred when an aircraft from VS-24, from the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), attacked an Iraqi Silkworm missile site. The aircraft also participated in the Yugoslav wars in the 1990s and in Operation Enduring Freedom in 2001.
In March 2003, during Operation Iraqi Freedom, an S-3B Viking from Sea Control Squadron 38 (The “Red Griffins”) piloted by Richard McGrath Jr. launched from USS Constellation (CV-64). The crew successfully executed a time sensitive strike and fired a laser-guided Maverick missile to neutralize a significant Iraqi naval and leadership target in the port city of Basra, Iraq. This was one of the few times in its operational history that the S-3B Viking had been employed overland on an offensive combat air strike and the first time it launched a laser-guided Maverick missile in combat.
On 1 May 2003, US President George W. Bush flew in the co-pilot seat of a VS-35 Viking from NAS North Island, California to USS Abraham Lincoln off the California coast. There, he delivered his “Mission Accomplished” speech announcing the end of major combat in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. During the flight, the aircraft used the customary presidential call sign of “Navy One”. The aircraft that President Bush flew in was retired shortly thereafter and on 15 July 2003 was accepted as an exhibit at the National Museum of Naval Aviation at NAS Pensacola, Florida.
Between July and December 2008 the VS-22 Checkmates, the last sea control squadron, operated a detachment of four S-3Bs from the Al Asad Airbase in Al Anbar Province, 180 miles (290 km) west of Baghdad. The planes were fitted with LANTIRN pods and they performed non-traditional intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (NTISR). After more than 350 missions, the Checkmates returned to NAS Jacksonville, Florida on 15 December 2008, prior to disestablishing on 29 January 2009.
The final carrier based S-3B Squadron, VS-22 was decommissioned at NAS Jacksonville on 29 January 2009. Sea Control Wing Atlantic was decommissioned the following day on 30 January 2009, concurrent with the U.S. Navy retiring the last S-3B Viking from front-line Fleet service.
By late 2015, the U.S. Navy had three Vikings remaining operational in support roles. One was moved to The Boneyard in November 2015, and the final two were retired, one stored and the other transferred to NASA, on 11 January 2016, officially retiring the S-3 from Navy service.
Naval analysts have suggested returning the stored S-3s to service with the U.S. Navy to fill gaps it left in the carrier air wing when it was retired. This is in response to the realization that the Chinese navy is producing new weapons that can threaten carriers beyond the range their aircraft can strike them. Against the DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile, carrier-based F/A-18 Super Hornets and F-35C Lightning IIs have about half the unrefuelled strike range, so bringing the S-3 back to aerial tanking duties would extend their range against it, as well as free up more Super Hornets that were forced to fill the role. Against submarines armed with anti-ship cruise missiles like the Klub and YJ-18, the S-3 would restore area coverage for ASW duties. Bringing the S-3 out of retirement could at least be a stop-gap measure to increase the survivability and capabilities of aircraft carriers until new aircraft can be developed for such purposes.
NEW MODEL ARRIVALS AT FLYING TIGERS NEXT WEEK .
The following models are arriving at Flying Tigers next week. Thank you to all those that have pre-ordered your models. As soon as I receive them at Sywell I will get them straight out to you.
There are only limited quantities available to buy after the Pre-orders have been dispatched, so if you would like any of the following models please order early to avoid disappointment.
HA4901 S-3B Viking “Independence” 160131, VS-21 “Fighting Redtails” US NAVY 1990s
Offers of the Week Sale
Please take a look at the special offers below. Some of the models are in limited quantities so be quick if you want a bargain.
That’s it for this week.
Thank you for taking time to read this week’s Newsletter.
Richard.
Flying Tigers.