tasks while the Government considered whether to purchase a new aircraft carrier or offer the aircraft for sale. It was eventually decided to not replace the carrier and sell the Trackers, and they were last flown in RAN service in December 1983. The Trackers were officially withdrawn from service in June 1984. The RAN's next dedicated anti-submarine and surveillance aircraft were Sikorsky S-70B-2 Seahawk helicopters. These helicopters began to enter service in 1988 and were operated from frigates. All but two of the aircraft were subsequently sold to the United Aeronautical Corporation. The other aircraft were retained in Australia. Tracker 859 is preserved at the Fleet Air Arm Museum and the airworthy 844 was relocated to the HARS Aviation Museum in September 2019. Several other ex-RAN Trackers had been preserved in Australia or were in storage in the United States as of 2019. See also List of displayed Grumman S-2 Trackers References Citations Bibliography Australian naval aviation S-002 Tracker 1950s United States anti-submarine aircraft High-wing aircraft Carrier-based aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1952