The S-3’s relevance was greatly reduced after the collapse of the Soviet Union—whose submarines the S-3 had been built to detect and counter.
Most people have probably never heard of the U.S. Navy’s S-3 Viking anti-submarine (ASW)/anti-surface (ASuW) aircraft. But the S-3 enjoyed a four decade service run, from the mid-1970s until 2016, when the Navy finally phased out their last S-3. Nicknamed the “War Hoover” because of a distinctive vacuum-like sound, the S-3 was a reliable workhorse in the ASW role. Let’s take a closer look at the S-3.
Introducing the S-3 Viking
The S-3 is visually distinct for its extra-large horizontal stabilizer. Otherwise, the S-3’s configuration, as a monoplane with cantilever shoulder wings, is highly conventional. The S-3’s wings are slept slightly at 15 degrees, and twin GE turbofan TF-34 engines are mounted in nacelles under the wing—providing the S-3 with the fuel efficient set-up needed for the long distance demands of ASW operations.
The S-3 was rare amongst tactical jets in that it featured an auxiliary power unit (APU), allowing it to self-start. The original APU provided just enough electrical power to get the engine started; later, more advanced APUs were installed that were capable of providing full electrical service to the S-3.
The S-3 was arranged to fit four crew members, all facing forward, in a 2×2 configuration. Up front were the pilot and co-pilot; in the back row sat a tactical coordinator and a sensor operator. The crew was downsized to three—eliminating the sensor operator—in the late 1990s after the S-3 was transitioned from an ASW role to a tanker role.
All four crew members sat on a Douglas Escapac zero-zero ejection seat. The four-person crew could be ejected together, in “group eject” mode, if one of the front-seat pilots initiated the ejection. In group eject mode, the back-seaters were ejected 0.5 seconds before the front-seaters to allow for separation. If one of the back-seaters initiated the ejection, only the back-seaters were ejected, and pilots had to initiate their own ejection.
The S-3 Viking Had Advanced Tech for Its Time
The S-3 was renowned for its system integration, which a single General Purpose Digital Computer (GDPC) facilitated. Each crew member had a monitor portraying the same information, allowing the crew to consult with one another while examining the same data—which streamlined the workload considerably.
However, the GPDC was not without its glitches. Early in the S-3’s operational history, the high-stress of the catapult launch would often cause the GDPC to “dump” its systems, requiring the crew to restart and reload the software mid-flight.
The S-3 was outfitted with two underwing hardpoints that allowed the aircraft to carry external fuel tanks, storage pods, or a variety of ordnance, including bombs, missiles, and rockets. In addition to the hard points, the S-3 had an internal bomb bay that was capable of carrying bombs, aerial torpedoes, and even nuclear weapons like the B57 and the B61.
The S-3’s relevance was greatly reduced after the collapse of the Soviet Union—whose submarines the S-3 had been built to detect and counter. Naturally, the S-3 was gradually withdrawn from service, retiring fully from the Navy in 2016—and from NASA, who used the S-3 for flight research, in 2021.
About the Author: Harrison Kass
Harrison Kass is a senior defense and national security writer with over 1,000 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the U.S. Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
