Lockheed S-3 (Viking)

The Lockheed S-3 also known as "Viking" that was used by the U.S. Navy in order to identify and track enemy submarines is a four-seat twin-engine jet aircraft. The Viking also supplied electronic warfare and surface surveillance capabilities to the carrier battle group.

Avionics

• AN/APS-116 sea search radar, maximum range 173 miles
  • Upgraded on S-3B to AN/APS-137 Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR)
• OR-89 forward looking infrared (FLIR) camera with 3x 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/ASN-92 Inertial navigation system (INS) with doppler radar navigation and TACAN
• Up to 60 sonobuoys (59 tactical, 1 Search and Rescue)

SPECIFICATIONS:
Armament: Hard-points:  Up to 4,900 lbs. on four internal and two external hardpoints (underwing hardpoints can also be fitted with unguided rocket pods or 1,136 L fuel tanks.) | Missiles : 1) One AGM-84H/K SLAM-ER missile 2) Two AGM-84D Harpoon missiles 3) Two AGM-65E/F Maverick missiles | Bombs : 1) Two B57 nuclear bombs 2) Six CBU-100 cluster bombs 3) Two 2000 lb (908 kg) Mark 84 bombs  4) Two 1000 lb (454 kg) Mark 83 bombs  5) Ten 500 lb (227 kg) Mark 82 bombs | Torpedo : 1) Two Mark 50 torpedoes 2) Four Mark 46 torpedoes | Others : Six mines or depth charges
Engine: Two General Electric TF34-GE-2 turbofans, 9,275 lb_f (41.26 kN) each
Maximum speed: At sea level: 493 mph | At 20,000 ft.: 514 mph (Mach 0.79)
Range: 3,182 miles
Service ceiling: 40,900 ft.
Span:  Unfolded: 68 ft. 8 in. | Folded: 29 ft. 6 in.
Length: 53 ft. 4 in.
Height: 22 ft. 9 in.
Weight: 38,192 lbs. loaded
Speed: Cruise: 405 mph | Stall: 112 mph
Thrust/weight: 0.353
Fuel capacity: Internal: 7,320 L of JP-5 fuel | External: Two 1,136 L tanks
Crew: Four (Pilot, two Naval Flight Officers, Sensor Operator/TFO)

The Lockheed S-3 is a subsonic, carrier-based, all-weather, multi-mission aircraft with long range. This aircraft carried automated weapon systems, and was capable of doing extended missions with in-flight refueling. Due to the engines’ low-pitched sound, the Viking was nicknamed as the "Hoover", which is after the vacuum cleaner brand.

The Lockheed S-3 Viking retirement from the front-line fleet service aboard aircraft carriers was in January 2009 by the US Navy along with its missions being assumed by other platforms (P-3C Orion, SH-60 Seahawk, and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet).