"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-33 "Screwbirds", then embarked upon the USS Stennis (CVN-74) during 2009. Now in stock!

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

Release Date: April 2024

Historical Account: "World Famous and Internationally Traveled Screwbirds" - Scouting Squadron 33 (VS-33) was a United States Navy anti-submarine warfare squadron in World War II.

As part of Eastern Sea Frontier Force Headquarters Air Group operation plan 1-43, the squadron flew anti-submarine patrols while temporarily based at Naval Air Station Quonset Point, Rhode Island, and a detachment at Naval Auxiliary Air Station Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. During this operation, the higher headquarters was Fleet Air Wing 9 of the Atlantic Fleet Air Force for administration and Headquarters Air Group of Eastern Sea Frontier for operations. Weather permitting, the squadron maintained a routine of two sets of two-plane patrols per day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, originating from both Quonset Point and Martha's Vineyard.

In this squadron, the OS2U-3 airplanes were radio equipped, and were armed with one fixed .30 caliber machine gun with 500 rounds of ammunition, as well as two Mark 17, 325 pound depth bombs. The SBD-5 airplanes were radio and radar equipped, and were armed with two fixed M2 Browning .50 caliber machine guns each with 180 rounds of ammunition, as well as two Mark 47, 350 pound depth bombs.