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S-3B Crew

The S-3B Aircraft is manned and operated by an aircrew of three. The aircrew consists of a pilot, Co-Tactical Coordinator (COTAC), and Tactical Coordinator (TACCO). Overall squadron manpower requirements have changed to reflect the new mission requirements. The major changes include eliminating the enlisted aircrew Sensor Operators from the Aviation Warfare Systems Operators (AW) rating, and decreasing the Naval Flight Officers in each squadron.

The Viking initially had a crew of four consisting of a Pilot, Copilot Tactical Coordinator (COTAC), acoustic Sensor Station Operator (SENSO), and Tactical Coordinator (TACCO). All crew members are seated on ejection seats, and the pilot's controls include a control stick in place of the traditional wheel.

Only one group of enlisted personnel flew in tactical jets. They were the sensor operators (SENSOs) aboard S-3B "Vikings." (The ES-3A is not considered tactical because it carries no weapons.) The a reason why the SENSO's billet called for an enlisted person is that an enormous amount of training is required to analyze acoustic data, and the skills are perishable, so you have to keep training in them constantly. There's just not enough time in an officer's training pipeline to go through all that.

It was the SENSO's job to operate acoustic and non-acoustic sensors in support of the plane's anti-submarine warfare (ASW) mission. Their acoustic training was the whole reason for their being there, but about 90 percent of their real-world mission is non-acoustic. For example, they might start searching for a submarine by looking for a periscope, then the sub dives and the plane drops sonobuoys and go acoustic. The SENSO, who rides in the left rear of the S-3B's four ejection seats, then analyzes his incoming acoustic data and reports it to the tactical coordinator (TACCO) in the seat to his right. The TACCO, a naval flight officer, directs where the pilot should fly, what search pattern to use, and coordinates any weapons release. Meanwhile, the enlisted SENSO continued to feed him updated information as they refine the search.

The S-3B Aircraft is currently manned and operated by an aircrew of three, consisting of a pilot, Copilot/COTAC, and Tactical Coordinator (TACCO). The Sensor Operator (SENSO) position has been deleted along with the deletion of associated ASW equipment.