S-3B Viking

Description: Lockheed Martin S-3 Viking was developed as a replacement for US Navy's S-2 Tracker carrier-based anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft. It was intended to provide greater capacity for tracking Soviet cruise missile submarines. S-3 jet aircraft also provides anti-surface warfare (ASuW)/anti-ship capability. The US Navy also employs this aircraft on surveillance, electronic countermeasures, command/control/communications warfare, and search and rescue (SAR) missions. Afterwards the Soviet Union collapse the S-3Bs were oriented for surveillance and precision strike missions.

Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR), Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Infrared (IR) sensors are key elements of the S-3 weapon system as well as its electronic support measures (ESM). S-3 Vikings can release AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile and IR/laser-guided AGM-65 Maverick as well as torpedoes, rockets and bombs. The US Navy has added to S-3B Viking the capability to take control over the SLAM-ER precision attack missile. All S-3 models are powered by two TF34-GE-400 turbofan engines each rated at 9,275-lb of thrust.

S-3A Viking twin-engine aircraft achieved Initial Operational Capability (IOC) on the US Navy's carriers in 1975. Up to 187 such aircraft were built. S-3B improved variant achieved IOC in 1984. Since then almost all the S-3As were converted into S-3Bs.In 2003 during Operation Iraqi Freedom an S-3B became the first S-3 to attack an inland target using a laser-guided Maverick. The US Navy withdrew the last S-3 Viking from fleet service after 35-year naval career on January 30, 2009.