Lockheed S-3A Viking
With the aging of the Grumman S-2 Tracker and the increasing effectiveness of Soviet submarines, the US Navy issued a requirement for a new carrier-based ASW aircraft. Lockheed won the contract, partnering with LTV to design carrier-specific equipment and Univac to design the ASW suite. The resulting S-3A Viking first flew in January 1972 and entered the fleet in February 1974.
While the S-2 had integrated the hunter-killer team concept into a single airframe, the S-3 went one step further by completely computerizing the sub-hunting process, integrating the entire sensor suite into one system. Flown by a crew of four, the S-3’s interior was so efficient that one aviation writer described it as the most compactly designed aircraft in history. The S-3A acquired a reputation for being a reliable, easy to fly aircraft, and spawned a number of variants, including the US-3A carrier-onboard delivery (COD) transport aircraft and the ES-3A Shadow Elint variant. A dedicated KS-3A tanker never went into production, but S-3s were increasingly equipped with buddy refuelling packs. When the KA-6D Intruder dedicated tanker was retired from the US Navy in the mid-1990s, the S-3 took over the role, though its relatively slow speed meant it could not accompany strikes into enemy territory.
Despite that, the S-3 has always had the capability to carry not only antisubmarine ordnance such as torpedoes and depth charges, but also bombs and later the AGM-84 Harpoon antiship missile and AGM-65 Maverick AGM. The S-3’s antiship capability was used in both Gulf Wars: in 1991, a S-3 sank an Iraqi attack boat with conventional bombs, while in 2003 a S-3 destroyed an Iraqi command post with a Maverick in Basra.
Beginning in 1991, the S-3As in service were modified to S-3B standard, with upgraded avionics and a new synthetic-aperature radar, giving the S-3B a significant ship-detection and SAR capability as well. Though the ES-3A was withdrawn from service in the mid-1990s, several S-3Bs were converted to littorial reconnaissance (Gray Wolf) and ground surveillance (Brown Boy) roles. With the reduction of submarine threats to the US Navy, the S-3 fleet was gradually retired; today, only a handful remain with Navy testing units.
This model represents a S-3A assigned to VS-38 ("Red Griffins") aboard the USS Ranger in the late 1980s. It is configured for the antishipping role, with an AGM-84 Harpoon on the port wing and three LAU-3 rocket pods on the starboard. The subdued overall gray camouflage had been adopted fleetwide by this time, making gaudy squadron colors a thing of the past. It is also displayed with the MAD boom extended.
Lockheed S-3A Viking
With the aging of the Grumman S-2 Tracker and the increasing effectiveness of Soviet submarines, the US Navy issued a requirement for a new carrier-based ASW aircraft. Lockheed won the contract, partnering with LTV to design carrier-specific equipment and Univac to design the ASW suite. The resulting S-3A Viking first flew in January 1972 and entered the fleet in February 1974.
While the S-2 had integrated the hunter-killer team concept into a single airframe, the S-3 went one step further by completely computerizing the sub-hunting process, integrating the entire sensor suite into one system. Flown by a crew of four, the S-3’s interior was so efficient that one aviation writer described it as the most compactly designed aircraft in history. The S-3A acquired a reputation for being a reliable, easy to fly aircraft, and spawned a number of variants, including the US-3A carrier-onboard delivery (COD) transport aircraft and the ES-3A Shadow Elint variant. A dedicated KS-3A tanker never went into production, but S-3s were increasingly equipped with buddy refuelling packs. When the KA-6D Intruder dedicated tanker was retired from the US Navy in the mid-1990s, the S-3 took over the role, though its relatively slow speed meant it could not accompany strikes into enemy territory.
Despite that, the S-3 has always had the capability to carry not only antisubmarine ordnance such as torpedoes and depth charges, but also bombs and later the AGM-84 Harpoon antiship missile and AGM-65 Maverick AGM. The S-3’s antiship capability was used in both Gulf Wars: in 1991, a S-3 sank an Iraqi attack boat with conventional bombs, while in 2003 a S-3 destroyed an Iraqi command post with a Maverick in Basra.
Beginning in 1991, the S-3As in service were modified to S-3B standard, with upgraded avionics and a new synthetic-aperature radar, giving the S-3B a significant ship-detection and SAR capability as well. Though the ES-3A was withdrawn from service in the mid-1990s, several S-3Bs were converted to littorial reconnaissance (Gray Wolf) and ground surveillance (Brown Boy) roles. With the reduction of submarine threats to the US Navy, the S-3 fleet was gradually retired; today, only a handful remain with Navy testing units.
This model represents a S-3A assigned to VS-38 ("Red Griffins") aboard the USS Ranger in the late 1980s. It is configured for the antishipping role, with an AGM-84 Harpoon on the port wing and three LAU-3 rocket pods on the starboard. The subdued overall gray camouflage had been adopted fleetwide by this time, making gaudy squadron colors a thing of the past. It is also displayed with the MAD boom extended.