October 25, 2020
Why The Navy Said Goodbye To The S-3 Viking Submarine Hunter
What else could it do?
by Sebastien Roblin
Here's What You Need To Remember: The Navy is unlikely to return to the Viking, despite its demonstrated flexibility. This is out of a defensible preference for operating fewer different types of aircraft to maximize efficiency in training, maintenance and spare parts. However, the Viking’s retirements reinforces the Navy’s continued reliance on short-range carrier-based aircraft, which is becoming an increasing liability as more capable shore-based missiles threaten carriers at or beyond the maximum combat radius of their onboard aircraft.
Eight years ago the U.S. Navy retired:
A) Its only dedicated carrier-based tanker;
B) its last dedicated carrier-based antisubmarine airplane;
C) a carrier-based plane with more than twice the range of its current jets;
D) all of the above.
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/why-navy-said-goodbye-s-3-viking-submarine-hunter-171249
