It Wasn't a Fighter Plane

I know this is a nit, but it's aggravating.

We just commemorated the third anniversary of the Mission Accomplished fiasco. It seems that every article on the subject misstates one little detail. The media accepts the White House spinmeister assertion that Bush was in a Fighter plane. They did this to magnify his machismo. But just like everything else that happened that day, this too was phony.

Bush did NOT land in a Fighter Plane. The plane he rode in was an S-3B Viking.

The first clue that it is not a fighter is the designation "S." If it were a fighter it would be designated with an "F", such F-14 , or "F/A" for fighter/attack, such as the F/A-18.

So what kind of plane is the Viking? It's principle role is in anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare. It is also can operate as a refueling plane for strike aircraft. It is great at what it does but would be toast if it was used in air to air combat as a fighter.