In the late 1940s, the US Navy finalized its ideas on a carrier-based
submarine hunter/killer aircraft. The Grumman S2F was designed to
meet this role and first flew in 1952. The S2F was redesignated as
the S-2 in 1962 and not phased out
until replaced by the Lockheed S-3 Viking in the mid-1970s.
Variants of the Tracker were also used as
transports (the C-1 Trader) and Airborne Early Warning
aircraft (the E-1 Tracer).
Trackers served in the armed forces of Australia, Canada and Israel.
After being phased out of military service, several Trackers have been
converted to firefighting aircraft named the Firecat.
The original designation of S2F led to this aircraft's other nickname...Stoof.
