Tag Archives: S-3 Viking

And so goes the Viking

Posted on by Leave a comment
151218-N-QK571-984 VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. (Jan. 12, 2016) The last two U.S. Navy S-3B Viking aircraft soar over Laguna Peak at Naval Base Ventura County, California. In January, one aircraft left Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 30 and retired to the boneyard; the other went to start a new life with NASA. (U.S. Navy photo by Scott Dworkin/Released)

151218-N-QK571-984 VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. (Jan. 12, 2016) The last two U.S. Navy S-3B Viking aircraft soar over Laguna Peak at Naval Base Ventura County, California. In January, one aircraft left Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 30 and retired to the boneyard; the other went to start a new life with NASA. (U.S. Navy photo by Scott Dworkin/Released)

After over 40 years in service to the Navy, the humble and often unloved S-3 Viking has passed on. This neat little ASW bird was cooked up in the 1970s to replace the aging S-2 Tracker prop plane to give the Navy’s carriers persistent sub-busting and surface control capabilities without having to task a P-3 squadron to each flattop from shore.

While the S-3 never had to actually drop it hot on a Russki sub, they tracked hundreds of them and would have been one of the vital keys to keeping the Atlantic open if the Cold War ever went hot. Post-1989, they were increasingly used (as the P-3 was/is) in supporting overland operations, providing vital eyes and ears in EW recon roles as well as helping the fleet with light COD and aerial refueling (buddy stores).

S-2 Turbo Tracker peels off from an S-3 Viking.

An S-2 Turbo Tracker of VS-21 hands it off to the then-new S-3. The last Navy S-2 was withdrawn from service on 29 August 1976

During the Gulf War, Vikings nailed a number of Saddam’s small fast attack craft as well, proving their teeth worked just fine.

Now, retired from the main fleet in 2009, a number of S-3 aircraft joined Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 30 and continued to be used for range control duties out of Point Magu where they were appreciated.

From the Navy’s presser

“It’s got legs,” Capt. John Rousseau, who led the charge to bring the retired aircraft to VX-30. “It can go fast and long. The radar, even though it’s old, there’s not many better. We still spot schools of dolphins and patches of seaweed” when patrolling the range.

In November, VX-30 retired the first of its three Vikings, flying it to the military aircraft boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona. The other two, each with 40 years of service on the airframe, were not far behind.

“They still have life in them,” Rousseau said, “but it was time for another depot-level maintenance period, and you have to weigh that cost against the little time you could still get out of them.”

And with that, the last two were pulled off line this month and are headed to the desert.

And maybe Taiwan who could use them to replace (wait for it) 1950s vintage S-2 Trackers.

Other ideas to re-purpose the old “turkey bird” is as a dedicated COD aircraft or even an unmanned carrier-based drone.

Navy considering bringing the Viking out of retirement, as a milk truck and gas wagon

Posted on by One comment

Between 1971-1978 Lockheed built 188 S-3 Viking aircraft for the US Navy. Unsung, the humble Viking was used for ASW, ASuW, over the horizon targeting, electronic warfare, carrier on board delivery (COD), and aerial refueling.

However, since it was primarily built to bust the hundreds of Soviet subs lurking around the world if the Cold War ever went hot, after the Russkis threw in the towel in 1991 the Viking’s days were numbered. Within a few years, most had their ASW suite removed, converting them to surface warfare only– and increasing use as tankers after the KA-6D was retired. By 2009, although still viable, they were retired.

Aerial view of a US Navy (USN) S-3 Viking aircraft, from the Sea Control Squadron 37 (VS-37), Sawbucks, based at Naval Air Station (NAS) North Island, California (CA).---Man that paint scheme.

Aerial view of a US Navy (USN) S-3 Viking aircraft, from the Sea Control Squadron 37 (VS-37), Sawbucks, based at Naval Air Station (NAS) North Island, California (CA).—Man that paint scheme.

Some 91 low mileage S-3s sit in desert storage in Arizona and the Navy is now looking to bring back a good many of these, converted to replace the C-2 Greyhound in the COD role. Capacity would reportedly be 10,000 pounds of cargo or 28 passengers, with an advanced cargo handling system and loading ramp design taken from the C-130J Super Hercules. The new/re-manufactured plane, now considered a C-3 would have a new stretched fuselage, refurbished engines, a probe for mid-air refueling, and it would be able to carry buddy pods that would convert it to an aerial tanker. Back in the old days the Carrier Air Wings carried 4 KA-6Ds and would have one or two C-2s in and out, so you could see as many as six C-3’s coming back to each to pick up the slack.

More from DID