Type: carrier-borne anti-submarine aircraft
Bureau Number: 159731
Powerplant: two 41.2-kN (9270-lb-thrust) General Electric TF34-GE-2 turbofans
Maximum speed: 814 km/h (505 mph) at sea level
Endurance: 7 hours 30 min
Ferry range: more than 5558 km (3445 miles)
Service ceiling: over 10,670 m (35,000 ft)
Weights: empty 12,088 kg (26,594 lb); maximum take-off 23,832 kg (52,430 lb)
Armament: up to 3175 kg (6985 lb) of ordinance (up to 1814 kg/4000 lb in internal weapons bays), including bombs, depth charges, torpedoes and AGM-84 Harpoon air-to-surface missles
Dimensions:
Span: 20.93 m (68 ft 8 in)
Length: 16.26 m (53 ft 4 in)
Height: 6.93 m (22 ft 9 in)
Wing area: 55.56 m2 (554 sq ft)
With its arrival on December 7, 2006 the S-3B Viking is one of the most recent additions to the Patriots Point collection of aircraft. Flown into Charleston from San Diego, the carrier based Viking was initially designed to deal with any enemy submarine threat. The aircraft participated in Operation Restore Hope in Somalia (VS-37), and the War on Terror in Afghanistan and Iraq (VS-29). The aircraft was later attached to the VS-33 "Screwbirds".
The S-3B's mission moved away from Anti-Surface Warfare and towards surveillance and precision-targeting using an array of advanced weapon systems including Harpoon and Maverick missiles. All S-3B Vikings are scheduled for retirement by 2009.
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The USS Yorktown participated in the recovery of NASA's Apollo 8 crew in 1968.
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