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| Lockheed S-3 Viking |
The destruction of the Soviet Union and the increasing dominance of coastal warfare led to a decrease in the emphasis on anti-submarine warfare and more emphasis on anti-surface warfare and ground attack missions.
The S-3A variant was replaced in the early 1990s by the S-3B. It combines enhancements such as the APS-137 inverted synthetic aperture radar and the AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile. Each aircraft carrier's air wing includes one marine control squadron (VS) equipped with eight S-3Bs. Vs Squadron performs anti-submarine, anti-shipping, mine laying, and surveillance missions for transport groups.
Sixteen S-3As were converted to ES-3A Shadow standards during the early 1990s with a variety of electronic surveillance and tapping equipment to find ants identifying hostile transmitters and communication stations. In mid-1998, the Navy made a decision by withdrawing the ES-3A from service without replacement. The aircraft's mission avionics package, became obsolete in the era of interconnection on electronic battlefields, and was deemed too expensive to upgrade - ES-3A service ceased in mid-1999.
The Viking S-3B conducted a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier-based naval control mission. It also has an important secondary role as an air tanker, equipped with a D-704 buddy-buddy refueling warehouse. It was the only transport aircraft capable of performing this function, the number of S-3B per squadron had been increased from six to eight. Several upgrades were installed on the Vikings, including GPS, aircraft II inertial navigation systems, a new tactical display, computer memory, improved satellite and radio communication equipment. Some S-3Bs have been involved in anti-drug trafficking tasks, using camera systems, infrared sensors and handhelds.
In 2009 the Viking S-3B retired from U.S. Navy frontline service, although some of these aircraft are still used for secondary duty. It finally retired in 2016 after more than 40 years of service. The Vikings retired without proper replacement. Its mission was taken over by the P-3C Orion, various SH-60 Seahawk series helicopters and F/A-18E/F Super.
