Lockheed S-3 Viking

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_S-3_Viking

The Lockheed S-3 Viking is a four-seat, twin-engine turbofan-powered jet
aircraft that was used by the U.S. Navy primarily for anti-submarine warfare. In
the late 1990s, the S-3B's mission focus shifted to surface warfare and aerial
refueling. The Viking also provided electronic warfare and surface surveillance
capabilities to the carrier battle group. A carrier-based, subsonic,
all-weather, multi-mission aircraft with long range; it carried automated weapon
systems, and was capable of extended missions with in-flight refueling. Because
of the characteristic sound of the Viking's engines, it was nicknamed the
"Hoover" after the vacuum cleaner brand.

The S-3 was retired from front-line US Navy fleet service aboard aircraft
carriers in January 2009, with its missions being assumed by other platforms
such as the P-3C Orion, Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk, and Boeing F/A-18E/F Super
Hornet. Several aircraft were flown by Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Thirty
(VX-30) at Naval Base Ventura County / NAS Point Mugu, California, for range
clearance and surveillance operations on the NAVAIR Point Mugu Range until 2016,
and one S-3 is operated by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA) at the NASA Glenn Research Center.

The aircraft can seat four crew members, three officers and one enlisted
aircrewman, with the pilot and the copilot/tactical coordinator (COTAC) in the
front of the cockpit and the tactical coordinator (TACCO) and sensor operator
(SENSO) in the back. Entry is via a door / ladder which folds out of the side of
the fuselage. When the aircraft's anti-submarine warfare (ASW) role ended in the
late 1990s, the enlisted SENSOs were removed from the crew. In the tanking crew
configuration, the S-3B typically flew with a pilot and co-pilot/COTAC. The wing
is fitted with leading edge and Fowler 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.

Unlike many tactical jets which required ground service equipment, the S-3 was
equipped with an auxiliary 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 mechanical 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.

All crew members sit on forward-facing, upward-firing Douglas Escapac zero-zero
ejection seats. In "group eject" mode, initiating ejection from either front
seat ejects the entire crew in sequence, with the back seats ejecting 0.5
seconds before the front in order to provide safe separation. 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 blocks.


Role
Carrier-based anti-submarine aircraft

National origin
United States

Manufacturer
Lockheed Corporation

First flight
21 January 1972

Introduction
1974

Status
Retired

Primary users
United States Navy (historical)
NASA

Produced
1974–1978

Number built
188

Unit cost

US$27 million (1974)

On 20 February 1974, the S-3A officially became operational with the Air
Antisubmarine Squadron FORTY-ONE (VS-41), the "Shamrocks," at NAS 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 the VS-21 "Fighting Redtails" aboard USS John F. Kennedy.

Starting in 1987, some S-3As were upgraded to S-3B standard with the addition of
a number of new sensors, avionics, and weapons systems, including the capability
to launch the AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile. The S-3B could also be fitted
with "buddy stores", external fuel tanks that allowed the Viking to refuel other
aircraft. In July 1988, VS-30 became the first fleet squadron to receive the
enhanced capability Harpoon/ISAR equipped S-3B, based at NAS Cecil Field in
Jacksonville, Florida. 16 S-3As were converted to ES-3A Shadows for
carrier-based electronic intelligence (ELINT) duties. Six aircraft, designated
US-3A, were converted for a specialized utility and limited cargo COD
requirement. Plans were also made to develop the KS-3A carrier-based tanker
aircraft, but this program was ultimately cancelled after the conversion of just
one early development S-3A.

With the collapse of the Soviet Union and the breakup of the Warsaw Pact, the
Soviet-Russian submarine threat was perceived as much reduced, and the Vikings
had the majority of their antisubmarine warfare equipment removed. The
aircraft's mission subsequently changed to sea surface search, sea and ground
attack, over-the-horizon targeting, and aircraft refueling. As a result, the
S-3B after 1997 was typically crewed by one pilot and one copilot ; the
additional seats in the S-3B could still support 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."

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 older inertial navigation hardware with ring laser gyroscopes with a
Honeywell EGI (Enhanced GPS Inertial Navigation System) and added digital
electronic flight instruments (EFI). The Maverick Plus System (MPS) added the
capability to employ the AGM-65E laser-guided or AGM-65F infrared-guided
air-to-surface missile, and the AGM-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.

The S-3B saw extensive service during the 1991 Gulf War, performing attack,
tanker, and ELINT duties, and launching ADM-141 TALD decoys. This was the first
time an S-3B was employed overland during an offensive air strike. The first
mission occurred when an aircraft from VS-24, from the USS Theodore Roosevelt
(CVN-71), attacked an Iraqi Silkworm missile site. The aircraft also
participated in the Yugoslav wars in the 1990s and in Operation Enduring Freedom
in 2001.

In June 2010 the first of three aircraft to patrol the Pacific Missile Test
Center's range areas off of California was reactivated and delivered. The jet
aircraft's higher speed, 10-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. These S-3Bs are flown by Air
Test and Evaluation Squadron Thirty (VX-30) based out of NAS Point Mugu,
California. Also, the NASA Glenn Research Center acquired four S-3Bs in 2005.
Since 2009, one of these aircraft (USN BuNo 160607) has also carried the civil
registration N601NA and is used for various tests.

By late 2015, the U.S. Navy had three Vikings remaining operational in support
roles. One was moved to The Boneyard in November 2015, and the final two were
retired, one stored and the other transferred to NASA, on 11 January 2016,
officially retiring the S-3 from Navy service.

Naval analysts have suggested returning the stored S-3s to service with the U.S.
Navy to fill gaps it left in the carrier air wing when it was retired. This is
in response to the realization that the Chinese navy is producing new weapons
that can threaten carriers beyond the range their aircraft can strike them.
Against the DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile, carrier-based F/A-18 Super
Hornets and F-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 more Super Hornets that were forced to fill the role.
Against submarines armed with anti-ship cruise missiles like the Klub and YJ-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.

Specifications (S-3A)

General characteristics
Crew: 4 (Pilot, Co-Pilot/COTAC, TACCO, Sensor Operator/TFO)
Length: 53 ft 4 in (16.26 m)
Wingspan:
Unfolded: 68 ft 8 in (20.93 m)
Folded: 29 ft 6 in (9.00 m)

Height: 22 ft 9 in (6.93 m)
Wing area: 598 ft² (55.56 m²)
Aspect ratio: 7.73
Empty weight: 26,581 lb (12,057 kg)
Loaded weight: 38,192 lb (17,324 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 52,539 lb (23,831 kg)
Internal fuel capacity: 1,933 US gal (13,145 lb)(7,320 L) of JP-5 fuel
External fuel capacity: 2 × 300 US gal (4,080 lb)(1,136 L) tanks
Powerplant: 2 × General Electric TF34-GE-2 turbofans, 9,275 lbf (41.26 kN) each

Performance
Maximum speed:
429 kn (493 mph, 795 km/h) at sea level
Mach 0.79, 450 kn (514 mph, 828 km/h) at 20,000 ft (6,100 m)

Cruise speed: 350 kn (405 mph, 650 km/h)
Stall speed: 97 kn (112 mph, 180 km/h)
Range: 2,765 nm (3,182 mi, 5,121 km
Combat Radius: 853 km (530 mi))
Ferry range: 3,368 nm (3,875 mi, 6,237 km)
Service ceiling: 40,900 ft (12,465 m)
Rate of climb: 5,120 ft/min (26.0 m/s)
Wing loading: 68.5 lb/ft² (334 kg/m²)
Thrust/weight: 0.353

Armament

Up to 4,900 lb (2,220 kg) on four internal and two external hardpoints,
including: 10 × 500 lb (227 kg) Mark 82 bombs
2 × 1000 lb (454 kg) Mark 83 bombs
2 × 2000 lb (908 kg) Mark 84 bombs
6 × CBU-100 cluster bombs
2 × Mark 50 torpedoes
4 × Mark 46 torpedoes
6 × mines or depth charges
2 × B57 nuclear bombs
2 × AGM-65E/F Maverick missiles
2 × AGM-84D Harpoon missiles
1 × AGM-84H/K SLAM-ER missile

The two underwing hardpoints can also be fitted with unguided rocket pods or 300
US gal (1,136 l) fuel tanks.

Avionics

AN/APS-116 sea search radar, maximum range 150 nmi (173 mi, 278 km) Upgraded on
S-3B to AN/APS-137 Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR)

OR-89 forward looking infrared (FLIR) camera with 3× zoom
AN/ARS-2 sonobuoy receiver with 13 blade antennas on the airframe for precise
buoy location (Sonobuoy Reference System)
AN/ASQ-81 magnetic anomaly detector (MAD)
AN/ALR-47 Electronic Support Measures (ESM) emitter-location system, with boxy
receiver pods fitted to the wingtips, to locate adversary communications and
radar transmitters
AN/ASN-92 Inertial navigation system (INS) with doppler radar navigation and
TACAN
Up to 60 sonobuoys (59 tactical, 1 Search and Rescue)




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