S-3B Viking History
The S-3 Viking was designed and produced by the team of Lockheed and LTV. The team they competed against and ultimately won out over was composed of General Dynamics, Grumman, and IBM. After initial trials and evaluations of the S-3 and its capabilities, it was accepted into the fleet in 1974.
The unique aspect of the S-3 production was the fact that the production line was shut down after the initial 187 airframes were produced. All logistical support that was anticipated to be needed was produced in that production run prior to its shut down. A number of spare airframes were stored at Davis Mothan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona to replace normal fleet attrition. The problem that soon developed was that the designed mean time between failure did not take into account a realistic evaluation of the rigors of the fleet environment. The result was a premature failure of components and a reduction in the mission effectiveness of the S-3. Program funding had not anticipated these problems and a serious spare parts deficiency resulted. To alleviate this shortage of parts, the aircraft stored at Davis Mothan AFB were cannibalized to provide the spare parts needed by the fleet.
The factors which contributed to the premature failure of the electronic components of the aircraft were high temperatures and humidity. Aircraft which operated in geographical areas with these conditions experienced the most problems. Complicating this problem was the Navy's push for the "600 Ship Navy." This fleet expansion included aircraft carriers which required more S-3 aircraft than were available.
The S-3B Aircraft was a modified S-3A Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) aircraft, with increased ASW and new Anti-Surface Warfare capabilities through improvements to various mission avionics and armament systems. Between July 1987 and July 1991, all east coast S-3A Aircraft were modified by a contractor field team at the Naval Air Station (NAS) Cecil Field, Florida. In March 1992, a contractor field team at NAS North Island, California, began modifying west coast S-3A Aircraft to the S-3B Aircraft configuration and completed modifications in September 1994.
The improved S-3B version incorporated improved technology for increased radar detection range and classification, advanced acoustic processing, and support measures, and has Harpoon missile capability. The S-3B's high speed computer system processes information generated by the acoustic and non-acoustic target sensor systems. This included a new Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR) and ESM systems suites. To destroy targets, the S-3B Viking employs an impressive array of airborne weaponry. This provides the fleet with a very effective airborne capability to combat the significant threat presented by modern combatants and submarines.
During operation Desert Storm, the versatility of the S-3 enabled it to serve a variety of roles. It flew hundreds of sea surveillance missions to enforce the economic blockade of Iraq and secure the seas surrounding the battle groups. Mine detection was an especially critical mission in the Persian Gulf, and the S-3 also served as the primary logistic transport for carriers. The S-3 had a direct combat role in which it electronically monitored active missile sites prior to air strikes. It also participated in the hunt for Scud missiles. Perhaps the most important contribution of the S-3 during the conflict was its airborne tanking capability. In this role, it employed a hose-and-drogue refueling system that resulted in more efficient refueling operations and more U.S. aircraft getting to their targets. In recognition of its broad applications, the designation of the S-3 Viking squadrons was changed from Air Antisubmarine Squadron to Sea Control Squadron.
The S-3B "Viking" was the ultimate ASW platform, but in recent years, that mission began to give way to another vital task to which the plane was well-suited: refueling the air wing. In fact, refueling completely replaced the aircraft's ASW mission. All S-3B aircraft are capable of carrying an inflight refueling "buddy" store which allows the transfer of fuel from the Viking aircraft to other Naval strike aircraft, thus extending their combat radius. With the retirement of the A-6, the Viking has become the principal organic tanking platform for the battlegroup and a mainstay in offensive mining. The S-3B was employed as the sole tanking platform for the airwing. Vikings provide fuel for several platforms as both a Mission Tanker and as a Recovery Tanker.
In 1999, the Navy removed the acoustic ASW and aerial mining systems from the S-3B, which was initially designed to counter the massive Soviet naval threat, but retained its surveillance, anti-surface warfare and critical aerial refueling roles. With the retirement of the A-6E in 1997, the S-3B became the sole organic refueling platform in the aircraft carrier task force until the operational debut of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet in 2002. During Operation Enduring Freedom in late 2001 and throughout 2002, forward-deployed S-3B Viking tankers flew more than 200 percent over their normal flight hours underway, enabling air wing strike fighters to reach their assigned kill boxes and return safely to the aircraft carrier from Afghanistan.
During Operation Iraqi Freedom, a VS-38 S-3B made history on March 25, 2003, with the first combat launch of a laser-guided Maverick missile, which severely damaged a naval target in the Tigris River near Basra, Iraq. Operational tempo during Iraqi Freedom was relentless and all S-3Bs available were positioned on the carrier deck. Sortie rates of 30 missions a day were not uncommon for squadrons operating from carriers in the eastern Mediterranean and the Persian Gulf. By 2004, the S-3B community has completed installation of modern and reliable upgrades to its communications, navigation and weapons systems, as well as installation of the advanced AYK-23 computer, significantly reducing operating costs and increasing combat capabilities.
After more than 40 years of service, the last S-3B Viking in U.S. Navy service launched one last time from the runway at Naval Base Ventura County, Point Mugu, 11 January 2016. Originally introduced in 1974 as a replacement for the S-2 Tracker, the Viking has ranged far from its anti-submarine warfare roots to perform various roles such as organic tanking, electronic intelligence, and carrier onboard delivery. The Viking officially retired from Navy service in 2009, but like many military members, the S-3B was called upon to continue to serve the fleet in another capacity. Two S-3 aircraft joined Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 30 that spring. "We landed in a rainstorm," said Capt. John Rousseau, who led the charge to bring the retired aircraft to VX-30. "It was one of the only time it rains around here. Those were just temporary, covering while three more went through depot maintenance." While Fleet Readiness Center Southeast set about getting the S-3s ship-shape again, Rousseau and the VX-30 team spent months qualifying and validating their skills with the two Vikings they had.
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