JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — After completing extensive maintenance and repairs that presented many challenges, Fleet Readiness Center Southeast (FRCSE) turned over the first of three S-3B Viking aircraft to Naval Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 30 April 14.

VX-30 Chief Test Pilot Cmdr. John Rousseau and Viking Training Officer Lt. Christian Pedersen based at Point Mugu, Calif., performed the acceptance flight check. They both were very satisfied with the aircraft that will support the squadron’s local and worldwide test events.

“We were pleasantly surprised, especially with a plane that has been out of service for so long. It flew well,” said Rousseau. “It’s a testament to FRCSE employees’ steadfastness to the work.”

Even so, the first aircraft took more than a year to complete the Planned Maintenance Intervals (PMI) 1, 2, and 3 that will add five to six years of service life to the aircraft before another PMI is due.

In March 2009, FRCSE inducted three Vikings sometimes referred to as War Hoovers for the engine’s unique, low-pitched sound.

The jets were last used by the “Checkmates” of the Sea Control Squadron (VS) 22 for five months at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq in 2008. During the squadron’s only land-based operation, the aircrews flew numerous combat missions in harsh desert conditions.

When Aircraft Examiner Jan Booth did the initial evaluation to determine the level of maintenance needed, he was surprised by what he found.

“There was a lot of corrosion we didn’t expect to find, especially from dirt and sand intrusion,” he said. “The aircraft was torn down to basically nothing. We did a lot of hard research to find the right parts.”

The S-3 Overhaul and Repair Supervisor James Hines said aircraft mechanics with S-3 experience were hired, and the team had to procure the tooling and fixtures needed to start the project.

“I’ve got a good crew,” he said, “and they really know what they’re doing.”

FRCSE S-3 Program Manager Tony Pudoff said the Viking was in worse shape than expected. Yet, the team overcame the many obstacles they faced along the way.

“I attribute the quality of work to our artisans and especially the great work performed by our final paint shop,” said Pudoff. “Requests for the aircraft as a static display and for a fly-by were made before the engines could cool down in California.”

Pudoff said old timers in the S-3 community like FRCSE Integrated Maintenance Program Coordinator Harry Mattox and FRCSE S-3 Planner and Estimator Don Lockwood agree it is the best looking S-3 they’ve ever seen.

Lockwood worked closely with the squadron to ensure the paint scheme was to their liking.

“We retained the original high-gloss grey and white paint scheme, but we added the black lettering and yellow trim and the squadron’s emblem on the tail,” he said.

Mattox, a self-professed jack-of-all-trades, knows the Viking inside and out. He was serving as a Navy maintenance master chief petty officer in 1973 when Lockheed turned over the aircraft for testing.

“I love this airplane and I want to see the program succeed,” he said. “Overall, the first aircraft was fantastic, and we are going to make the second and third one even better. They (VX-30) are going to have a really good product over the long haul.”

In a message to the S-3 team the following day, VX-30 Commanding Officer Cmdr. Stephen Tedford praised the NAVAIR and FRCSE S-3 teams for their hard work and extraordinary efforts they put into the project.

“She is a great looking aircraft, and we will take good care of her,” he said. “I know there is much more work to be done on the remaining two airframes, but I wanted you to know how much your efforts are appreciated.”

He said the S-3 plays a vital role in the squadron’s mission to support its customers at test facilities and ranges throughout the world.

“With the capabilities of the APS-137 radar, we can execute our mission more effectively and cover a larger area than ever before,” he said. “The S-3 ensures the West Coast Sea Test Range will continue to provide outstanding and dependable services to its customers for years to come.”

Tedford acknowledged the individual efforts of Pudoff, Mattox and NAVAIR Program Manager Air (PMA) 290 Bob Millerick, the S-3 acting department head who provided engineering and logistics support and management oversight.

“It took ingenuity for this FRCSE team to integrate three individual depot-level inspections into one evolution to maximize the work,” said Millerick. “They choreographed the work into one unique and repeatable evolution. It is amazing what a small number of resourceful people working in a small space can accomplish.”

During a site visit in March, NAVAIR PMA 290 Deputy Director for International Programs Cmdr. Kurt Muller said the Viking with its upgraded radar “can stay on station (airborne) for a longer time” and will enhance the squadron’s capabilities.

When VS-22 was decommissioned on Jan. 29, 2009 at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, the VX-30 “Bloodhounds” wanted the Viking for its sophisticated APS-137 ISAR imaging radar to upgrade their crucial sea and air range clearance and surveillance capabilities

VX-30 is the Navy’s principal flight and ground test support activity in support of Naval Air Systems Command, NASA, the National Defense Agency and foreign allies.

With a range of more than 2,800 nautical miles and a ceiling height of 40,000 feet, the Viking is an important patrol and reconnaissance aircraft for potential foreign military customers worldwide.

“They want to see the U.S. Navy is still flying these aircraft,” said Muller.

The second aircraft is scheduled for delivery in September with the final delivery set for December.

The squadron uses various aircraft like the heavily modified NP-3 “Billboard” Orion for clearing the Sea Range, DOD’s largest overwater missile test range with 36,000 square miles of controlled sea and airspace off the coast of Southern California.

In 1969, the Department of Defense awarded Lockheed the contract to develop the S-3 designed to incorporate the latest concepts in sensors and computer-based data processing, display and weapons control systems. The S-3 Viking replaced the old reciprocating-engine-powered S-2 Tracker.

Source: NAVAIR