"The S-3 was a unique program. We went from first contract to first contact over a submarine in just three years."
- Lockheed Executive Vice President Tom Burbage, who flew the Viking as a Navy test pilot and later ran the S-3 program for the company

The Navy began what became the S-3 Viking program in 1964 to replace the piston-powered S-2 Tracker. Known originally as VSX - for "carrier-based antisubmarine warfare aircraft-X" - a formal request for proposal was issued in April 1968. A joint General Dynamics-Grumman team and the then-Lockheed Aircraft Corp. were chosen from among the competitors to refine their proposals.

Although Lockheed had four decades of land-based antisubmarine warfare experience dating back to the World War II-era Hudson, the company had only built one carrier-based aircraft to that point, the T2V-1 SeaStar trainer. To build a strong Navy-oriented team, Lockheed first brought on LTV Aerospace, formerly Vought, with its long history in carrier aviation, as a partner. Then the Federal Systems Division of Sperry Rand was added to develop the aircraft's computerized acoustic detection system, a first for an airborne antisubmarine warfare platform.

The Lockheed team was declared the winner of the VSX competition on August 4th, 1969. One of several speakers at the 2009 retirement ceremony was current Lockheed Martin F-35 Executive Vice President Tom Burbage, who flew the Viking as a Navy test pilot and later ran the S-3 program for the company. He noted that "the S-3 was a unique program. We went from first contract to first contact over a submarine in just three years."

Pictured here is a 1:72 scale replica of a USN Lockheed S-3B Viking anti-submarine aircraft that was attached to VS-21 "Fighting Redtails", then embarked upon the USS Independence (CV-62), during the 1990s. Sold Out!

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 9-inches
Length: 11-1/2-inches

Release Date: February 2016

Historical Account: "Fighting Redtails" - In 1974, VS-21 was chosen as the first command to introduce the Lockheed S-3A Viking to the fleet. The twin turbofan powered Viking combined excellent flight characteristics with high endurance to counter the increasingly lethal Soviet nuclear submarine threat. Embarked on USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) as a part of CVW-1, VS-21 deployed to the Mediterranean Sea in February 1975 as the first squadron to deploy with the S-3A Viking. That same year, the Redtails won the Battle "E", the CNO Safety Award and the Captain Arnold J. Isbell Trophy for ASW excellence.

In April 1991, VS-21 was selected by Commander Naval Air Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet as the first west coast squadron to transition to the Lockheed S-3B. The most advanced ASW and sea control platform in history, the S-3B incorporates an extensive weapons system improvement program that added an advanced imaging capable ISAR RADAR, Electronic Counter Measures, vastly improved anti-submarine technologies, and AGM-84D Harpoon air-to-surface missile employment. Additionally, the S-3B modification provided the aircraft with inflight refueling capability. As the only carrier-based refueling aircraft, the S-3B is the cornerstone of all carrier operations and strike capabilities within the airwing.

In August 1991, VS-21 embarked on USS Independence (CV-62) and joined Carrier Air Wing FIVE as the only permanently forward deployed VS squadron.