S-3 Viking in Action (Squadron Signal 10230)

S-3 Viking in Action (Squadron Signal 10230)

Author Brad Elward, ISBN 9780897477024, Format 4L, 88 Pages, Soft Cover. The Viking first flew on 21 January 1972 and was the latest in a long line of anti-submarine aircraft including the Grummans Avenger, Guardian and Tracker. The Viking also conducted other roles during its service lifetime including ELINT (electronic intelligence collection, with the ES-3A variant), COD (carrier on-board delivery, with the US-3A variant) and midair refueling (using the S-3A/B and oddly, the ES-3A). In fact, towards the end of the Vikings career, a majority of the Vikings missions were flown as an aerial refueling tanker. Sadly and perhaps prematurely, the Viking was retired in 2009 but it still flies with VX-30 for range clearance missions and with NASA, at the Glenn Research Center, conducting flight research into aircraft icing.