Copyright © 2012, Naval History, U.S. Naval Institute, Annapolis, Maryland (410) 268-6110 www.usni.org By Norman Polmar Author, ShipS and aircraft Historic Aircraft of the U.S. fleet Vikings at Sea fter World War II, the U.S. Navy carriers—designated CVS—the airborne air on 21 January 1972. The flight tests Abegan the development of special- subhunters would operate from attack were successful, with initial carrier trials ized carrier-based aircraft for antisubma- carriers that carried only turbine-powered on board the USS Forrestal (CVA-59) in rine warfare. Previously, standard fighters aircraft. Handling piston-engine fuels for November 1973. Even before flight trials and bombers were employed for that role. just the Tracker would be a burden. had been completed, the Navy ordered the The Navy’s first aircraft designed spe- When the VSX requirement appeared, Viking into production as the S-3A.2 cifically for the ASW role were the so- Grumman Aircraft, later Grumman The plane had a snub nose and a high called “Guardian Twins,” the Grumman Aerospace Corporation, was the favored wing carrying two General Electric high- AF, which came in two “flavors”—the competitor, having produced far more bypass turbofan engines, mounted in W-suffix aircraft with the large AN/APS- carrier aircraft—among them the underwing nacelles, just inboard of the 20 radar for detecting submarine masts Guardian and Tracker ASW planes— wing-fold points. The early operational and periscopes, and the S-suffix with a than any other firm. But Lockheed had aircraft were fitted with a Univac AN/ limited detection capability but a large been in the ASW business longer, albeit AYK-10 digital computer to support a weapons bay and wing pylons for weap- with land-based aircraft, beginning with host of sensors including AN/APS-116 ons.1 These search-and-attack capabilities the PBO Hudson in the late 1930s radar, OR-89 forward-looking infrared were first combined in the Grumman S2F through the P-3 Orion that entered ser- (FLIR), AQS-81 magnetic anomaly (later S-2) Tracker, whose initial flight vice in 1962. To compensate for its lim- detector (MAD), ALR-47 electronic was in December 1952. ited experience in carrier-based aircraft, countermeasures (ECM) system, and 60 By the mid-1960s the Navy was Lockheed teamed with Ling-Temco- sonobuoy chutes. seeking a more advanced carrier ASW Vought, which had several outstanding For the “killer” side of the mission aircraft—given the development des- carrier planes to its credit, and firms with the Viking had an internal weapons bay ignation VSX. Updated sensors were ASW-systems experience. for up to 2,000 pounds of depth bombs, available, and a faster and longer-range Lockheed was named VSX winner in mines, and torpedoes, plus stores on two aircraft would be more effective in reach- August 1969, with an initial batch of eight wing pylons. Each pylon could carry a ing potential targets. Also significant, flight-test aircraft (YS-3A) being ordered Harpoon or Bullpup antiship missile or a with the demise of the specialized ASW by the Navy. The first Viking took to the 300-gallon drop tank. A retractable in- flight refueling probe was provided. S-3A VIKING The flight crew consisted of two pilots, a tactical coordinator, and a sensor opera- Type: Carrier-based antisubmarine tor. Each had an ejection seat that could Length: 53 feet, 4 inches work at any speed/altitude combination. Wingspan: 68 feet, 8 inches The first fleet squadron to fly the Height: 22 feet, 9 inches Viking was Antisubmarine Squadron Engines: 2 GE T34-GE-2 turbofan 7,513 pounds static thrust each continuous Max. speed: 493 mph at sea level Crew: 4 Armament: Internal bay 2,400 pounds depth bombs, mines, torpedoes including 2 Mark 57 nuclear depth charges; wing stations 2,500 pounds depth bombs, mines, torpedoes J. M. CAIELLA This Viking of VS-31 served on board the USS Independence (CV-62) during her 1977 Mediterranean Sea cruise. The Topcats S-3A, later converted to S-3B standards, has its MAD (magnetic anomaly detector) boom extended and carries an AGM-84 Harpoon on its left wing pylon. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 12 UNITED STATES NAVAL INSTITUTE (VS) 21, which went aboard the John which was to house a high-power, angle- Discarding the Viking from the ASW F. Kennedy (CVA-67) in 1975. With beam, L-band phased-array (electroni- role initially left the carrier force with only 187 ASW aircraft produced—including cally scanned) radar. It would retain a the specialized SH-60F Seahawk helicop- the eight YS-3A prototypes—the Navy limited weapons capability as well as the ters for the assignment. However, even formed 12 Viking squadrons plus a readi- in-flight refueling probe. That proposal, that limited capability is being diluted with ness/replacement squadron. Thus, almost too, was rejected. their replacement by a smaller number of every carrier air wing was provided with Including the eight preproduction multimission MH-60R Seahawks. an eight-plane S-3 squadron, which shared Vikings and the 16 Shadows, the Navy In the post–Cold War era, the cost the ship-based ASW role with an SH-3 procured a total of 203 of these aircraft. of operating and maintaining an S-3B Sea King helicopter squadron (HS). The Viking proved to be a reliable, safe, and relatively effective ASW aircraft. The only significant problem encountered was the plane’s stall char- acteristics, which were rectified by the addition of minor stall strips. Similar to the evolution of its pre- decessor—the S-2 Tracker—into the C-1 Trader for carrier-on-board (COD) cargo and passenger delivery, the sev- enth YS-3A was modified to a COD prototype. In that role—with ASW gear removed—it could carry six passengers or 5,750 pounds of cargo internally and another 1,000 pounds in two wing pods. Range and speed were superior to the Trader. The first of the modified planes U.S. Navy ( RICARDO J. REYES) flew in 1976 as the US-3A. Three addi- With landing gear down and locked and tailhook fully extended, an S-3B Viking, tional YS-3A/US-3A conversions fol- assigned to Sea Control Squadron 22, approaches the flight deck of the USS Harry lowed. Lockheed also proposed a larger variant with a side door and a 70-inch S. Truman (CVN-75) during operations in the Persian Gulf on 3 March 2005. The fuselage extension, or “plug,” that would Checkmates’ Viking is carrying a 300-gallon fuel tank under its right wing and a D-704 provide an 8,000-pound cargo capacity. buddy refueling pod under its left. The Navy, however, declined production. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Instead it bought the C-2 Greyhound, derived from Grumman’s E-2 Hawkeye The last S-3A was delivered in August force for the “sea control” mission was electronic-warfare aircraft. 1978 and the last ES-3A in September considered extravagant, and the surviv- Similarly, Lockheed converted the fifth 1993. The ASW variants were periodi- ing Vikings were rapidly retired. The last YS-3A to an aerial tanker, fitting it with a cally upgraded, with improved sensors carrier VS/S-3B squadron went ashore in drogue-and-reel system. The tanker could and acoustic data-processing capacity; January 2009. carry 16,000 pounds of fuel, of which these aircraft were designated S-3B, with Five S-3B aircraft have been retained 11,000 pounds could be transferred to the first of about 160 upgrades joining for research and development. The rest another aircraft. Refueling trials were suc- the Fleet in December 1987. of the Vikings—a fine aircraft that served cessful, but again the Navy opted for a With the demise of the Soviet in an important role during the Cold Grumman aircraft—the KA-6D, modified Union in late 1991 and the subsequent War—have been retired. from A-6A airframes. Yet another Viking reduction of the Soviet submarine threat, variant was a an electronic intelligence as of 1993 the S-3B was considered a “sea Notes (ELINT) collection aircraft, the ES-3A control” rather than ASW aircraft, and 1. See N. Polmar, “The Navy’s Guardian,” Naval History (June 2006), pp. 14–15. Shadow. Sixteen were produced and served in the mid-1990s the ASW equipment 2. The principal reference for the S-3 is René J. on board several carriers in small detach- and operators were removed. Thus Francillon, Lockheed Aircraft Since 1913 (Annapolis, ments. However, the aircraft was consid- configured, they were employed in ocean MD: Naval Institute Press, 1987). The most compre- hensive journal article on the aircraft is Jay Miller, ered too expensive to maintain and was surveillance, antishipping (with Harpoon ed., “Lockheed S-3A Viking,” Aerophile (February discarded in 1999. and Maverick missiles), and aerial 1979), pp. 308–41. Lockheed also proposed variants of an tanking (with external drogue and fuel airborne early warning (AEW) configura- tanks). The last role was critical because of the demise of the KA-6D Intruder Mr. Polmar, a columnist for Proceedings and Naval tion to succeed the turboprop Hawkeye. History, is author of the definitive two-volume Air- The principal version had a fixed, trian- tankers and the relatively short range of craft Carriers: A History of Carrier Aviation and Its gular radome atop the wing and fuselage, the F/A-18 Hornet strike fighters. Influence on World Events (2004, 2008). NAVAL HISTORY • august 2 0 1 2 13 Copyright © 2012, Naval History, U.S. Naval Institute, Annapolis, Maryland (410) 268-6110 www.usni.org Historic Fleets By Robert J.