| S-3 Viking | |
|---|---|
.jpg) An S-3A Viking from ASW squadronVS-37Sawbucks | |
| General information | |
| Type | Carrier-basedanti-submarine warfare aircraft |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Lockheed Corporation |
| Primary users | United States Navy |
| Number built | 188 |
| History | |
| Manufactured | 1974–1978 |
| Introduction date | 20 February 1974 |
| First flight | 21 January 1972 |
| Retired | 2016 (Navy) 2021 (NASA) |
| Variants | Lockheed ES-3 Shadow,Lockheed KS-3 |
TheLockheed S-3 Viking is a four-crew,twin-engineturbofan-poweredsubsonicanti-submarinejet aircraft designed and produced by the American aerospace manufacturerLockheed Corporation. Because of its characteristic sound, it was nicknamed the "War Hoover" afterthe vacuum cleaner brand.
The S-3 was developed in response to theVSX program conducted by theU.S. Navy (USN) to procure a successoranti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft to theGrumman S-2 Tracker. It was designed, with assistance fromLing-Temco-Vought (LTV), to be acarrier-based, subsonic, all-weather, long-range, multi-mission aircraft.
On 21 January 1972, the prototypeYS-3A performed the type'smaiden flight. Upon entering regular service during February 1974, it proved to be a reliable workhorse. In the ASW role, the S-3 carried automated weapons andin-flight refueling gear. Further variants, such as theES-3A Shadow carrier-basedelectronic intelligence (ELINT) platform, and theUS-3A carrier-based utility and cargo transport, arrived during the 1980s and 1990s. In the late 1990s, the S-3B's mission focus shifted to surface warfare andaerial refueling acarrier battle group. It saw combat during theGulf War of the early 1990s, theYugoslav Wars of the mid-to-late 1990s, and theWar in Afghanistan during the 2000s.
The S-3 was removed from front-line fleet service aboard aircraft carriers in January 2009, its missions having been taken over by theP-3C Orion,P-8 Poseidon,SH-60 Seahawk, andF/A-18E/F Super Hornet. For more than a decade after that, some S-3s were flown byAir Test and Evaluation Squadron Thirty (VX-30) atNaval Base Ventura County /NAS Point Mugu, California, for range clearance and surveillance operations at the NAVAIR Point Mugu Range. These final examples in U.S. Navy service were retired in early 2016. The last operational S-3 was used by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) at itsGlenn Research Center until NASA retired it in mid-2021. Most retired S-3s were placed into storage while options for their future were investigated. During the 2010s, Lockheed Martin proposed to refurbish them forcarrier onboard delivery. TheRepublic of Korea Navy also had plans to operate revived S-3s for ASW; these plans were cancelled in 2017.
In the mid-1960s, theUnited States Navy (USN) formulated theVSX (Heavier-than-air, Anti-submarine, Experimental) requirement, which sought a dedicated anti-submarine aircraft capable of flying off of its aircraft carriers as a replacement for its existing inventory of piston-enginedGrumman S-2 Trackers. The service issued a request for proposals to industry. During August 1968, a team led by Lockheed, as well as a rival team comprisingConvair andGrumman, were requested to further develop their proposals to meet this requirement.[1]
At this stage, Lockheed recognised that it had little experience in designing carrier based aircraft, thus the company reached out to the industrial conglomerateLing-Temco-Vought (LTV), which joined the team. LTV assumed responsibility for the design of various elements of the airframe, such as the folding wings and tail, the engine nacelles, and the landing gear, some of which had been derived from the earlierLTV A-7 Corsair II andVought F-8 Crusader.Sperry Univac Federal Systems was assigned the task of developing the aircraft's onboard computers which integrated input from sensors andsonobuoys.[2][3]
On 4 August 1969, Lockheed's design was selected as the winner of the VSX contest; an order for eight prototypes, designatedYS-3A, was promptly received by the company.[4][5] On 21 January 1972, the first prototype performed itsmaiden flight in the hands of military test pilotJohn Christiansen.[6][2] Flight testing proceeded quickly with no major issues; two years later, the S-3 entered operational service with the U.S. Navy. During the type's production run, which ran from 1974 to 1978, a total of 186 S-3As were constructed.[5] The majority of the surviving S-3As were later upgraded to the improvedS-3B variant, while 16 aircraft were also converted intoES-3A Shadowelectronic intelligence (ELINT) collection aircraft.
The Lockheed S-3 Viking is a conventionalmonoplane with acantilevershoulder wing,[7] very slightly swept with a leading edge angle of 15° and an almost straight trailing edge. Its twinGE TF-34 high-bypassturbofan engines mounted innacelles under the wings provide excellent fuel efficiency, providing the Viking with the required long range and endurance,[8] while also maintaining relatively docile engine-out characteristics.[9]
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The aircraft can seat four crew members (three officers and one enlisted) with pilot and copilot/tactical coordinator (COTAC) in the front of the cockpit and the tactical coordinator (TACCO) and sensor operator (SENSO) in the back.[5] Entry is via a hatch/ladder folding down out of the lower starboard side of the fuselage behind the cockpit, in between the rear and front seats on the starboard side.[8] When the aircraft's anti-submarine warfare (ASW) role ended in the late 1990s, the enlisted SENSOs were removed from the crew. In tanker crew configuration, the S-3B typically flew with a pilot and co-pilot/COTAC.[10][self-published source] The wing is fitted with leading edge andFowler flaps.Spoilers are fitted to both the upper and the lower surfaces of the wings. All control surfaces are actuated by dual hydraulically boosted irreversible systems. In the event of dual hydraulic failures, an Emergency Flight Control System (EFCS) permits manual control with greatly increased stick forces and reduced control authority.[11]
Unlike many tactical jets which required ground service equipment, the S-3 was equipped with anauxiliary power unit (APU) and capable of unassisted starts. The aircraft's original APU could provide only minimal electric power and pressurized air for both aircraft cooling and for the engines' pneumatic starters. A newer, more powerful APU could provide full electrical service to the aircraft. The APU itself was started from a hydraulic accumulator by pulling a handle in the cockpit. The APU accumulator was fed from the primary hydraulic system, but could also be pumped up manually (with much effort) from the cockpit.[10][self-published source]
All crew members sit on forward-facing, upward-firing Douglas Escapaczero-zero ejection seats. In "group eject" mode, initiating ejection from either of the front seats ejects the entire crew in sequence, with the back seats ejecting 0.5 seconds before the front in order to provide safe separation (this was to prevent the pilots, who were more aware of what was happening outside the aircraft from ejecting without the rest of the crew, or being forced to delay ejection to order the crew to eject in an emergency; ejection from either rear seat would not eject the pilots, who had to initiate their own ejections, to prevent loss of the aircraft if a rear crewmember ejected prematurely. If a pilot ejected prematurely, the plane was lost anyway, and automatic ejection prevented the crew from crashing with a pilot-less aircraft before they were aware of what had happened). The rear seats are capable of self ejection and the ejection sequence includes a pyrotechnic charge that stows the rear keyboard trays out of the occupants' way immediately before ejection. Safe ejection requires the seats to be weighted in pairs, and when flying with a single crewman in the back the unoccupied seat is fitted with ballast.[10][self-published source]
At the time it entered the fleet, the S-3 introduced an unprecedented level of systems integration. Previous ASW aircraft like theLockheed P-3 Orion and S-3's predecessor, theGrumman S-2 Tracker, featured separate instrumentation and controls for each sensor system. Sensor operators often monitored paper traces, using mechanical calipers to make precise measurements and annotating data by writing on the scrolling paper. Beginning with the S-3, all sensor systems were integrated through a single General Purpose Digital Computer (GPDC). Each crew station had its own display, the co-pilot/COTAC, TACCO and SENSO displays were Multi-Purpose Displays (MPD) capable of displaying data from any of a number of systems. This new level of integration allowed the crew to consult with each other by examining the same data at multiple stations simultaneously, to manage workload by assigning responsibility for a given sensor from one station to another and to easily combine clues from each sensor to classify faint targets. As a consequence of this integration, the four-crew S-3 was considered roughly equivalent in terms of capability to the much larger P-3, operated by a crew of 12.[citation needed]
The aircraft has two underwing hardpoints that can be used to carry fuel tanks, general purpose and cluster bombs, missiles, rockets, and storage pods.[5] It also has four internal bomb bay stations that can be used to carry general-purpose bombs,aerial torpedoes, and special stores (B57 and B61 nuclear weapons). Fifty-ninesonobuoys are carried, as well as a dedicated Search and Rescue (SAR) chute. The S-3 is fitted with the ALE-39 countermeasure system and can carry up to 90 rounds ofchaff,flares, and expendable jammers (or a combination of all) in three dispensers. A retractablemagnetic anomaly detector (MAD) Boom is fitted in the tail.[5]
In the late 1990s, the S-3B's role was changed from anti-submarine warfare (ASW) to anti-surface warfare (ASuW). As a consequence of this role change, the MAD Boom was removed, along with several hundred pounds of submarine detection electronics. As there was no remaining sonobuoy processing capability, most of the sonobuoy chutes were faired over with a blanking plate.[citation needed]
On 20 February 1974, the S-3A officially became operational with theAir Antisubmarine Squadron FORTY-ONE (VS-41), the "Shamrocks," atNAS North Island, California, which served as the initial S-3 Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) for both the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets until a separate Atlantic Fleet FRS, VS-27, was established in the 1980s. The first operational cruise of the S-3A took place in 1975 with theVS-21 "Fighting Redtails" aboardUSS John F. Kennedy.[10][self-published source]
Initial operations of the Viking were somewhat troubled in the carrier environment, its sophisticated mission systems were largely dependent on the mission computer, which would often "dump" during the stress of a catapult-assisted take-off, requiring the crew to restart it and reload the software.[5] The U.S. Navy had also purchased an insufficient number of spare parts, which negatively impacted the aircraft's mission readiness. Performance improved considerably once an ample supply of spares was provisioned, allowing the S-3 to become a valuable ASW asset as well as a good surface-surveillance platform.[5]
Starting in 1987, the majority of S-3As were progressively upgraded to the improvedS-3B standard; this involved the addition of several new sensors, avionics, and weapons systems, which included the capability to launch theAGM-84 Harpoonanti-ship missile.[12][5] The S-3B could also be fitted with "buddy stores", external fuel tanks that allowed the Viking to refuel other aircraft. During July 1988, VS-30 became the first fleet squadron to receive the enhanced capability Harpoon/ISAR equipped S-3B, based atNAS Cecil Field inJacksonville, Florida.
Additional, often more specialised variants, were also produced. 16 S-3As were converted toES-3A Shadows for carrier-basedelectronic intelligence (ELINT) duties. Six aircraft, designatedUS-3A, were converted for a specialized utility and limited cargoCarrier onboard delivery (COD) requirement.[12] This model played a key role in US military efforts to relieve theIran hostage crisis of 1979–1981.[5] Plans were also made to develop theKS-3A carrier-basedtanker aircraft, but this program was ultimately cancelled after the conversion of just one early development S-3A.[13]
As a consequence of the collapse of theSoviet Union and the breakup of theWarsaw Pact in the early 1990s, the Soviet-Russian submarine threat was perceived as much reduced, and the Vikings had the majority of theirantisubmarine warfare equipment removed. The aircraft's mission subsequently changed to sea surface search, sea and ground attack, over-the-horizon targeting, and aircraft refueling.[3][12] As a result, the S-3B after 1997 was typically crewed by a single pilot along with a copilot [NFO]; the additional seats remained in place in the S-3B and could be used by additional crew members for certain missions. To reflect these new missions, the Viking squadrons were redesignated from "Air Antisubmarine Warfare Squadrons" to "Sea Control Squadrons".[5]
Prior to the aircraft's retirement from front-line fleet use aboard US aircraft carriers, a number of upgrade programs were implemented. These include the Carrier Airborne Inertial Navigation System II (CAINS II) upgrade, which replaced olderinertial navigation hardware withring laser gyroscopes with a Honeywell EGI (EnhancedGPS Inertial Navigation System) and added digital electronic flight instruments (EFI). The Maverick Plus System (MPS) added the capability to employ theAGM-65E laser-guided or AGM-65F infrared-guided air-to-surface missile, and theAGM-84H/K Stand-off Land Attack Missile Expanded Response (SLAM/ER). The SLAM/ER is a GPS/inertial/infrared guided cruise missile derived from the AGM-84 Harpoon that can be controlled by the aircrew in the terminal phase of flight if an AWW-13 data link pod is carried by the aircraft.[3]
The S-3B saw extensive service during the 1991Gulf War, performing attack, tanker, and ELINT duties, and launchingADM-141 TALD decoys. One such aircraft, launched from the aircraft carrierUSS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), was responsible for the destruction of an IraqiSilkworm anti-ship missile site, having fired AGM-84 SLAM missiles at it.[14] It was commonly deployed to hunt forScud missile launcher. The Vikings also identified and targeted numerous Iraqi naval vessels, and even destroyed anti-aircraft gun emplacements and coastal radars.[14][5] The Gulf War was the first event in which the type had been employed overland in offensive air strike capacity.[citation needed]
The Viking also participated in theYugoslav wars in the 1990s, and inOperation Enduring Freedom in the 2000s. For the latter, the opening phase of theWar in Afghanistan in October 2001, many Vikings were deployed as tankers to continuously undertake refueling sorties to support various fighters stationed aboard U.S. carriers, giving them the necessary endurance to fly to and from the conflict zone.[14][5]
The first ES-3A was delivered during 1991 and entered front-line service after two years of testing. The U.S. Navy established two squadrons, each equipped with eight ES-3As, stationed in both the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets to provide detachments of typically two aircraft, ten officers, and 55 enlisted aircrew, maintenance and support personnel (which comprised/supported four complete aircrews) to deploying carrier air wings. The Pacific Fleet squadron,Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron FIVE (VQ-5), the "Sea Shadows," was originally based at the formerNAS Agana, Guam but later relocated toNAS North Island inSan Diego, California, with the Pacific Fleet S-3 Viking squadrons when NAS Agana closed in 1995 as a result of a 1993Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) decision. The Atlantic Fleet squadron, theVQ-6 "Black Ravens," were originally based with all Atlantic Fleet S-3 Vikings at the former NAS Cecil Field in Jacksonville, Florida, but later moved toNAS Jacksonville, approximately 10 miles (16 km) to the east, when NAS Cecil Field was closed in 1999 as a result of the same 1993 BRAC decision that closed NAS Agana.[citation needed]
The ES-3A operated primarily withcarrier battle groups, providing organic 'Indications and Warning' support to the group and joint theater commanders. In addition to their warning and reconnaissance roles, and their extraordinarily stable handling characteristics and range, Shadows were a preferred recovery tanker (aircraft that provide refueling for returning aircraft). They were also deployed to active combat zones, seeing use overYugoslavia to identify targets, as well as to enforce theno-fly zone over Iraq.[14] The Shadows reportedly averaged over 100 flight hours per month while deployed. Excessive utilization caused earlier than expected equipment replacement when Naval aviation funds were limited, making them an easy target for budget-driven decision makers. The type was also deemed by some officials to be too costly to continue operating.[5] In 1999, both ES-3A squadrons and all 16 aircraft were decommissioned and the ES-3A inventory placed inAerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) storage atDavis-Monthan AFB, Arizona.[citation needed]
The S-3 was an active participant inOperation Iraqi Freedom, the US invasion of Iraq; it largely performed intelligence and reconnaissance missions in support of other coalition assets.[5] On one occasion, in March 2003 a single S-3B Viking from Sea Control Squadron 38 (The "Red Griffins"), piloted by Richard McGrath Jr., from the aircraft carrierUSS Constellation (CV-64) successfully executed a time-sensitive strike, firing a laser-guided Maverick missile that neutralized a significant Iraqi naval and leadership target in the port city ofBasra,Iraq.[14] This was the first time an S-3 launched a laser-guidedMaverick missile in combat.[5] As the conflict progressed, S-3s were regularly used as surveillance aircraft, often to identifyimprovised explosive devices (IEDs) and the insurgents who planted them.[5]
On 1 May 2003, US PresidentGeorge W. Bush flew in the co-pilot seat of aVS-35 Viking fromNAS North Island, California, to the aircraft carrierUSS Abraham Lincoln off the California coast; while the carrier was well within range of helicopters, it is believed that the S-3 was used as a means of setting a desired tone.[14] Aboard the carrier, he delivered his "Mission Accomplished" speech announcing the end of major combat in the2003 invasion of Iraq.[14] During the flight, the aircraft used the presidentialcallsign of "Navy One". The aircraft that President Bush flew in was retired shortly thereafter and on 15 July 2003 was accepted as an exhibit at theNational Museum of Naval Aviation atNAS Pensacola, Florida.
Between July and December 2008, theVS-22 Checkmates, the last sea control squadron, operated a detachment of four S-3Bs from theAl Asad Airbase inAl Anbar Province, 180 miles (290 km) west of Baghdad. The planes were fitted withLANTIRN pods and they performed non-traditional intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.[14] After more than 350 missions, the Checkmates returned to NAS Jacksonville, Florida, on 15 December 2008. The squadron was disestablished on 29 January 2009.[15]
A proposed airframe known as theCommon Support Aircraft was advanced as a successor to the S-3,E-2, andC-2, but this initiative failed to materialize. In 1998, the U.S. Navy awarded a $40 million contract for Lockheed Martin to perform a full-scaleFatigue testing of the existing S-3s; these tests, which commenced in June 2001, were aimed at extending the viable service life of each remaining aircraft, which had originally been certified for a structural life of 13,000 flight-hours. It was hoped that this could be extended to as much as 17,750 hours.[16]
The final carrier-based S-3B squadron, VS-22, was decommissioned at NAS Jacksonville on 29 January 2009. Sea Control Wing Atlantic was decommissioned the following day, along with the last S-3s in frontline fleet service.[17][5]
In June 2010, the first of three S-3s to patrol thePacific Missile Test Center's range areas off of California was reactivated and delivered. The jet aircraft's higher speed, ten-hour endurance, modern radar, and a LANTIRN targeting pod allowed it to quickly confirm the test range being clear of wayward ships and aircraft before tests commence.[18] These S-3Bs are flown by Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Thirty (VX-30) based out ofNAS Point Mugu, California.[19][20] By late 2015, the U.S. Navy were operating a total of three Vikings in support roles. One was relocated toThe Boneyard in November 2015, while the final two were retired, one being stored and the other transferred toNASA, on 11 January 2016, officially retiring the S-3 from Navy service.[21][22]
During 2004, NASA acquired four of the withdrawn S-3Bs for use at itsGlenn Research Center.[12] In 2009, one of these aircraft (USN BuNo 160607) was given the civil registrationN601NA, it was involved in numerous tests conducted by the agency. For over a decade, this aircraft was flying almost every day in support for various research programs;[12] one such initiative was the definition of newFederal Aviation Administration communication standards forunmanned aerial vehicles operating in US airspace.[23] However, a lack of spare parts and increasing difficulty supporting the type meant their use could not continue in the long term. The last of the NASA's S-3Bs, which were the final working members of the type in existence with any operator at that point, were retired on 13 July 2021.[24][12]
Naval analysts have suggested that the U.S. Navy return to service an unspecified quantity of the stored S-3s in order to fill gaps that were left in the carrier air wing when it was retired. This move was promoted as a response to the realization that theChinese navy is producing increasingly capable weapons that can threaten carriers beyond the range their aircraft can strike them. Against theDF-21Danti-ship ballistic missile, carrier-basedF/A-18 Super Hornets andF-35C Lightning IIs have about half the unrefueled strike range, so bringing the S-3 back to aerial tanking duties would extend their range against it, as well as free up Super Hornets forced into tanking. Against submarines armed with anti-ship cruise missiles like theKlub andYJ-18, the S-3 would restore area coverage for ASW duties. Bringing the S-3 out of retirement could at least be a stop-gap measure to increase the survivability and capabilities of aircraft carriers until new aircraft can be developed for such purposes.[25]
In October 2013, theRepublic of Korea Navy expressed its interest in acquiring up to 18 ex-USN S-3s to augment their fleet of 16 Lockheed P-3 Orion aircraft.[26] In August 2015, a military program review group approved a proposal to incorporate 12 mothballed S-3s to perform ASW duties; the Viking plan was sent onto theDefense Acquisition Program Administration for further assessment before final approval decision by the national defense system committee. Although the planes are relatively old, being in storage has supposedly kept them serviceable, and using them is an affordable means of fulfilling short-range airborne ASW capabilities that were vacated by the retirement of the S-2 Tracker.[27] Refurbished S-3s could have been returned to use by 2019.[21] In 2017, the Republic of Korea Navy canceled plans to purchase refurbished and upgraded Lockheed S-3 Viking aircraft for maritime patrol and anti-submarine duties, leaving offers by Airbus, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Saab on the table.[28][29]
During April 2014, Lockheed Martin announced that they would offer refurbished and remanufactured S-3s, dubbed theC-3, as a replacement for the NorthropGrumman C-2A Greyhound forcarrier onboard delivery. The requirement for 35 aircraft would be met from the 91 S-3s currently in storage.[30] In February 2015, the Navy announced that theBell Boeing V-22 Osprey had been selected to replace the C-2 for the COD mission.[31][32] A SV-22 was a proposedanti-submarine warfare variant the U.S. Navy studied in the 1980s to replace S-3 Viking and late modelSH-2 Seasprite ASW helicopters.[33]
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Data fromStandard Aircraft Characteristics[63]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
Avionics
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
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