Designed as a replacement for the US Navy Grumman S-2 Tracker, the twin-turbojet S-3A first flew as the YS-3A prototype on January 21, 1972. Successful testing led to the production of 179 S-3A Viking aircraft, the first of which entered service in July 1974. The S-3 is equipped with state-of-the-art submarine detection equipment such as the AN/ASQ-81 tail-mounted extendible MAD, an AN/APS-116 maritime search radar, an OR-89 FLIR, and 60 sonobouys located in the aft fuselage. The S-3B variant was developed in the early 80s, and features an improved ESM, a new sonobouy receiver system, and provision to carry two AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles.

Contractor: Lockheed-California Company
Nation of origin: USA
Function: Anti-submarine warfare
Unit Cost: $27 million
Crew: 4
First flight: Jan. 21, 1972
Operational: February 1974
Engine: Two General Electric TF34-GE-2 non-afterburning turbofans, 9,275 lb thrust each
Wing span: 20.93 m / 68 ft 8 in
Length: 16.26 m / 53 ft 4 in
Height: 6.93 m / 22 ft 9 in
Weight: 26,650 lb empty / 52,540 lb max. take off
Ceiling: 35,000 ft / 12295 m
Speed: 828 km/h / 518 mph / 450 knots
Range: 5,560 km / 3,455 miles
Armament: Up to 3,958 pounds (1,781 kg) of Cluster bombs, depth charges, destructors, free-fall bombs, mines, rockets, torpedoes, AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles, flare launchers, Mk-57 Nuklear torpedo and up to two drop tanks