Last modified Thu., March 29, 2007 - 09:19 AM
Originally created Thursday, March 29, 2007

S-3B Viking community monument dedicated in Heritage Park

By Lt. Cmdr. Jon Still, Sea Control Wing, Atlantic

Plaque dedicated for S-3 community Photos by Kaylee LaRocque Rear Adm. Michael Miller, U.S. Fleet Forces Command deputy chief of staff, Global Force Management and Joint Operations, relays how proud he is to be part of the S-3 community during a plaque dedication at Heritage Park March 22. Looking on are from left, Chuck Stevenson, Lockheed Martin director for P-3/S-3 programs, Richard Kirkland, Lockheed Martin vice president of Maritime Surveillance Enterprise, Miller and Capt. Joseph McClain, commander, Sea Control Wing U.S. Atlantic Fleet. The plaque was donated by Lockheed Martin to pay tribute to all squadrons past and present in the S-3 community.

A large gathering of both past and present warriors and support personnel from the S-3 Viking community came out March 22, to see a monument to the East Coast S-3 Viking community unveiled and dedicated in Heritage Park at NAS Jacksonville. The 5-foot by 5-foot granite monument is emblazoned with an S-3 Viking and displays color-engraved insignia and dates of service of the Sea Control Wing Atlantic, Sea Control Weapons School, Carrier Tactical Support Center, and each of the eight East Coast Navy squadrons which have flown the Viking since its inception.

The solid granite monument weighs more than 1,200 pounds and was presented to the Sea Control Wing and NAS Jacksonville by Lockheed Martin, in honor of the S-3 community's many decades of service to the Navy and the nation. The monument is located on a concrete base in front of the Viking static display in Heritage Park.

Capt. Joe McClain, commander, Sea Control Wing Atlantic, hosted the unveiling and dedication, directly preceding a disestablishment ceremony of the VS-24 "Scouts." He thanked representatives of Lockheed Martin for providing the monument and noted that their support had been invaluable to the S-3 community's ability to adapt to the varying missions that the S-3 has assumed over the years.

Rick Kirkland, vice president of Lockheed Martin's Surveillance Enterprise, spoke for Lockheed Martin and pointed out that, "The S-3 Viking's ability to adapt its mission over its many years of service has cemented its legacy as the Swiss Army knife of naval aviation and one of the most successful designs in carrier aircraft history."

As the senior attending S-3 aviator, Rear Adm. Michael Miller, U.S. Fleet Forces Command deputy chief of staff, Global Force Management and Joint Operations, was invited to address the attendees and said, "It is only fitting that the S-3 community be commemorated in granite, a stone which stands the test of time as the S-3 Viking has stood the test of time." He added that the adaptability of the venerable Viking led the way for multi-mission aircraft like the F/A-18 Super Hornet.

Lockheed Martin donated this granite plaque in remembrance of the S-3 community. The plaque is on display in Heritage Park near the S-3 Viking aircraft on display.

Lockheed Aerospace designed and built the S-3A Viking as a carrier-based antisubmarine warfare (ASW) platform in the early 1970's to replace the Grumman S-2 Tracker. Lockheed converted existing Vikings to the S-3B configuration in the early 1990's, and joining with Martin Marietta in 1995, continued to service and upgrade the Viking airframe for more than 30 years. Although conceived primarily for ASW, the Viking has proven itself so versatile that its mission for the last 15 years has been called simply, "Sea Control."

After the retirement of the A-6 Intruder and A-7 Corsair II, the Viking was the only airborne refueling platform organic to the carrier air wing until the fielding of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. The Viking also provides electronic warfare, surface surveillance, and over-the-horizon strike capabilities to the carrier battle group. Although in its Sundown phase, with the last squadron set to disestablish in early 2009, the venerable Viking continues to adapt its mission capabilities to the current needs of naval aviation. With the recent addition of a low altitude navigation and targeting infrared for night pod capability, the Viking has become an extremely valuable asset in the global war on terror.