Feature

A Short Hop in the Viking

by Chunx

Although I don’t get to fly very often in my current job on a Carrier Strike Group Staff, I do get airborne every once in a while. Going flying is good for me, not only to help me keep a handle on just how things translate from plans to execution in the air, but also to maintain my sanity in what would otherwise be a rather dull, paper-pushing desk-jockey billet! I truly relish any chance I get to get back into the air.

Today I’ll be flying with our S-3B Viking squadron. Their mission is Sea Control — maintaining situational awareness on the seas around our strike group via their sensor suite of Inverse / Synthetic Aperture Radar, infrared (IR) sensor and Mk 1 eyeballs. If it’s necessary they’re also able to engage any threats with a mix of air to ground weapons including Rockeye cluster bombs, Mk 82 unguided bombs, Torpedoes and Maverick missiles. The S-3 is also the air wing’s primary organic (meaning "belongs to CAG") aerial refueling tanker, providing either fuel for the FA-18s or Prowlers to conduct their missions, or to ‘hawk’ those planes on their return to the carrier, in the event they return to the ship low on fuel or have trouble getting back aboard.

Although trained and raised as a “pointy-nosed” strike/fighter guy (with some SEAD experience thrown in), I always look forward to my flights in the ungainly looking “Hoover” (as the Viking crews affectionately refer to the S-3). After all, if it’s good enough for the President, it should be good enough for me! Seriously, one of the most enjoyable aspects of my career to date has been having the opportunity to savor the full spectrum of naval aviation, including air superiority, recce, strike and CAS in the F-14 and FA-18; SEAD and Electronic Attack in the EA-6B; Airborne Early Warning in the E-2C; Electronic Surveillance in the ES-3; TACAMO in the E-6A; CSAR and Plane Guard in the HH-60H; and tanking and Sea Control in the S-3B. I count myself lucky to have experienced it all.

Our mission today is going to be SSC or Surface Search Coordination. SSC is the bread and butter mission of any carrier strike group, dating back to the days of WW II with the CAG’s Scouting Squadron of SDB Dauntless dive-bombers that were used to conduct searches of the sea space around the carrier in order to gain situational awareness on approaching enemy forces. Our SSC is often augmented by land-based P-3s, much as PBY Catalina seaplanes augmented our Scouting SDBs in “the big one.” This feeling of continuity with naval aviation’s rich history has always been another satisfying and enjoyable aspect of my career.

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