In 1974 the Lockheed S-3 Viking entered service with the USN as a twin-engine jet aircraft used for enemy submarine warfare. By the late 1990’s the role shifted to surface warfare providing the carrier battle group with long range surveillance capabilities and aerial refueling. The S-3 was in production from 1974 until 1978 with 186 (187) aircraft completed. Most airframes saw upgrades to the S-3B and sixteen became ES-3A “Shadow” electronic intelligence collection aircraft. The low pitch sound of the engines earned the S-3 the nickname “Hoover” after the vacuum cleaner.

S-3A 160155 c/n 394A-1137 joined the USN on September 25, 1976 with VS-30 “Diamond Cutters” until 1983. In 1990 the aircraft was upgraded to an S-3B and in 2000 was assigned to VS-33. The “Screwbirds” transitioned to the S-3B in 1991 and 1993 they became a “Sea Control Squadron” reflecting the multi-role mission of this new aircraft. The actual full name of VS-33 is “World Famous and Internationally Traveled Screwbirds”. From November 12 2001 until May 28, 2002 VS-33 was onboard USS Stennis flying in support of “Operation Enduring Freedom”.

• Crew: 4 / 1 x Pilot, 1 x Co-Pilot, 1 x TACCO, 1 x Sensor Operator (TFO)
• Number of Aircraft: 91 new built, converted aircraft 43 A-5A and the first 6 A-5B = 140
• Engines: 2 x General Electric TF34-GE-2 turbofans producing 9,275 lb (41.26 kN) of thrust per engine
  
• Fuel Capacity (JP-5)
• Internal – 1,933 US gal (7,320 L)
• External – 2 x 300 US gal (1,136 L) tanks
• Maximum speed
• @ Sea Level - 493 mph (795 km/h)
• @ 20,000 ft (6,100 m) - 514 mph (828 km/h)
• Cruise: 405 mph (650 km/h)
• Range: 2,050 miles (3,300 km)
• Ferry: 3,875 miles (6,237 km)
• Service Ceiling: 40,900 ft (12,465 m)
• Rate of Climb: 5,120 ft/min (26 m/sec)
• Length: 53 ft 4 in (16.26 m)
  
• Wingspan
• Unfolded – 68 ft 8 in (20.93 m)
• Folded – 29 ft 6 in (9.00 m)
• Height – 22 ft 9 in (6.93 m)
• Weights
• Empty: 26,581 lb (12,057 kg)
• Loaded: 38,193 lb (17,324 kg)
• Maximum Take-off: 52,539 lb (23,831 kg)
• Armament
• 4 x internal and 2 external Hardpoints capable of carrying an assortment of ordnance weighing a maximum of 4,900 lb (2,220 kg)
• Assortment of Ordnance
• 10 x 500 lb (227 kg) Mark 82 bombs
• 2 x 1,000 lb 454 kg) Mark 83 bombs
• 2 x 2,000 lb (908 kg) Mark 84 bombs
• 6 x CBU-100 cluster bombs
• 2 x Mark 50 torpedoes
• 4 x Mark 46 torpedoes
• 6 x mines or depth charges
• 2 x B57 nuclear bombs
• 2 x AGM-65E/F Maverick missiles
• 2 x AGM-84 Harpoon missiles
• 1 x AGM-84H/K SLAM-ER missile
• The 2 under-wing hardpoints can hold unguided missile pods or the 300 US gal fuel tanks.
• Avionics
• AN/APS-116 sea search radar, maximum range 173 miles (278 km)
• S-3B upgraded to AN/APS-137 Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR)
• OR-89 FLIR camera with 3 X zoom
• AN/ARS-2 sonobuoy receiver with 13 blade antennae on the airframe for precise buoy location
• Up to 60 sonobuoys (59 tactical, 1 Search and Rescue (SAR)
• AN/ASQ-81 magnetic anomaly detector (MAD)
• AN/ASN-92 INS with Doppler radar navigation and TACAN
• Width/Length: 29.21 x 22.86 cm