Vulnerability forced the S-3 Viking's retirement, paving the way for the P-8 Poseidon's advanced capabilities in dominating the undersea domain.
By Kris Osborn, Warrior
The famous Cold-War era S-3 Viking submarine hunting aircraft had many attributes but was retired in the early 2000s due to a number of significant drawbacks which compromised the survivability of the jet as rival aircraft got faster and more advanced. The S-3 sub-hunter flew at speeds up to 500 miles per hour and operated with a crew of four, yet the S-3A model lacked a radar warning receiver, flares or decoys to protect against missile attacks. Its speed of 500mph was also not fast enough to out-fly rival fighter jets, a factor which further increased its combat vulnerability.
The Viking was removed from its front-line status aboard U.S. Navy carriers in 2009, and replaced by the P-3C Orion and F-8 Poseidon submarine hunters. The reasons seem clear and self evident enough, given the pace at which rival submarine, surface and air threats clearly interfered with the S-3’s ability to perform its missions.
Upgrade Limits?
Legacy platforms are regularly upgraded to address emerging threats, yet it appears the growing threats to the S-3 presented risks which upgrades alone could not address. It simply may not have been feasible or realistic to equip the S-3 with the kinds of sonobuoys, sensors, weapons and radar which were later built into the U.S. Navy’s P-8 Poseidon sub hunting planes. The S-3 Vikings were upgraded with AGM-84 harpoons, yet may not have been configured to integrate the kinds of sensors and torpedoes now arming the P-8.
S-3 Deficits vs P-8
The limitations of the S-3 in light of changing threats can perhaps best be understood in terms of the advanced technologies woven into the P-8 Poseidon. The P-8A, a militarized variant of Boeing’s 737-800, includes torpedo and Harpoon weapons stations, 129 sonobuoys and an in-flight refueling station, providing longer ranges, sub-hunting depth penetration and various attack options. Given that a P-8 can conduct sonobuoy sub-hunting missions from higher altitudes than surface ships, helicopters or other lower-flying aircraft, it can operate with decreased risk from enemy surface fire and swarming small boat attacks. Unlike many drones and other ISR assets, a Poseidon can not only find and track enemy submarines, but attack and destroy them as well.
P-8 Sensors
Alongside its AN/APY-10 surveillance radar and MX-series electro-optical/infrared cameras optimized to scan the ocean surface, the Poseidon’s air-parachuted sonobuoys can find submarines at various depths beneath the surface. The surveillance aircraft can operate as a “node” within a broader sub-hunting network consisting of surface ships, unmanned surface vessels, aerial drone-mounted maritime sensors and submarines. As part of its contribution to interconnected sub-hunting missions, the Poseidon can draw upon an Active Electronically Scanned Array, Synthetic Aperture Radar and Ground Moving Target Indicator.
Given the Poseidon’s role as a high-tech surveillance aircraft, known for capturing video of Chinese phony island building in the South China Sea (land reclamation) several years ago, it takes little imagination to envision ways its advanced sensors, sonobuoys and weapons could function as part of a containment strategy against Chinese expansion - - and even operate as a deterrent against China’s growing fleet of nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarines (SSBN).
S-3 Viking Iraq War
The limitations of the S-3 Viking, and its ultimate replacement with much more high-tech, capable sub-hunting technology, by no means erases its combat successes and commendable performance record. During the early phases of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the S-3 Viking destroyed several Iraqi Navy assets in Basra, Iraq, by firing a Maverick air-to-surface missile. Former President George W. Bush flew in a co-pilot seat of an S-3 Viking to the USS Abraham Lincoln at sea in 2003 to deliver his famous “Mission Accomplished” speech on board the carrier.
Kris Osborn is the President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a highly qualified expert in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The HistoryChannel. He also has a Master's Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia