"Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus."
- Editorial that appeared in the New York Sun, September 1897

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 US Navy Lockheed S-3B Viking anti-submarine aircraft that was assigned to VS-32 "Maulers", then embarked upon the USS America (CV-66) during Operation Desert Storm. Now in stock!

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

Release Date: April 2024

Historical Account: "Maulers" - VS-32, Sea Control Squadron 32, of the United States Navy, known as the Maulers was established as Composite Squadron 32 (VC-32) on May 31st, 1949. It was re-designated Air Anti-Submarine Squadron 32 (VS-32) on April 20th, 1950. The squadron initially flew the Grumman TBM-3E/-3W Avenger and was based at Naval Air Station Norfolk, Virginia. In 1951, the squadron moved to Naval Air Station Quonset Point, Rhode Island. VS-32 transitioned to the Grumman S2F-1 Tracker in 1954. The VS community moved in October 1973 to the home port located at Naval Air Station Cecil Field, Florida. The squadron participated in Operation Desert Storm in 1991. Since the closing of NAS Cecil Field, the East coast VS Squadrons have moved to Naval Air Station Jacksonville in 1999. VS-32 was deactivated effective September 30th, 2008, in a deactivation ceremony on September 25th.