Lockheed S-3 Viking Carrier-Based Maritime Aircraft Family
The Lockheed S-3 Viking was a carrier-based, twin-engine jet aircraft developed for the United States Navy's anti-submarine mission and fleet surveillance. Its integrated crew and sensor suite replaced the slower S-2 Tracker with a faster, longer-legged platform, while later conversions extended the same family into electronic surveillance, tanker evaluation, and carrier logistics. The type first flew in 1972 and remained a defining U.S. Navy maritime aircraft for more than three decades.
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Identity
- Aliases
- S-3 VikingYS-3A VikingS-3A VikingS-3B VikingES-3A ShadowUS-3A Viking
- Family Name
- Lockheed S-3 Viking
- Full Name
- Lockheed S-3 Viking Carrier-Based Maritime Aircraft Family
- Roles
- militaryreconnaissanceutility
- Status
- retired
- Type
- aircraft
Details
- Aircraft Specs
- Configuration
- fixed_wing
- Operating Modes
- land
- Takeoff Landing Capabilities
- conventional
- Description
- The Lockheed S-3 Viking was a carrier-based, twin-engine jet aircraft developed for the United States Navy's anti-submarine mission and fleet surveillance. Its integrated crew and sensor suite replaced the slower S-2 Tracker with a faster, longer-legged platform, while later conversions extended the same family into electronic surveillance, tanker evaluation, and carrier logistics. The type first flew in 1972 and remained a defining U.S. Navy maritime aircraft for more than three decades.
- First Flight Year
- 1,972
- Manufacturer
- Propulsion Configurations
- Entries
- Count
- 2
- Propulsion System
- Role
- main
- Variant Notes
- U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command identifies two GE TF34-GE-2 turbofan engines as the S-3 Viking powerplant; the USS Midway Museum independently lists two TF34-GE-2 turbofans at 9,275 lbf each. Placement is left unspecified because the cited sources do not state it, and the entry is scoped to the early-production S-3 branch rather than later S-3B engine conversions.
- Name
- S-3 Viking early-production TF34-GE-2 installation
- Entries
- Count
- 2
- Propulsion System
- Role
- main
- Variant Notes
- The U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Navy One record identifies two General Electric TF-34-GE-400B turbofans at 9,275 lb static thrust each on the S-3B Viking. Placement is left unspecified because the cited record does not state it.
- Name
- S-3B Viking TF34-GE-400B installation
Links
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- August 7, 2026 at 21:15:22 UTC
- Updated Time
- August 14, 2026 at 18:17:07 UTC