S-3 Gets Lantirn, Because Submarine Threat Disappeared?

I missed this, a nice upgrade in my opinion. I was not aware that the S-3 was getting Lantirn, I would not have expected a plane currently being phased out would be upgraded, unless of coarse the plane was going to be retained. Bean counter cuts hurt the most. Guess which part of this paragraph I don't like.

Maritime reconnaissance has been revolutionized with the introduction, and combining, of lightweight search radars and targeting pods. Two years ago the U.S. Navy began equipping its carrier based S-3 patrol aircraft with Lantirn targeting pods. The S-3 was originally designed as an anti-submarine aircraft, and served in that capacity from its introduction in the mid 1970s, to the late 1990s. The end of the Cold War ended most of the submarine threat, and since 1999, the S-3 has served as a patrol aircraft, and aerial tanker. In the next decade, the S-3 will be retired, and replaced (for patrol and taker duties) by F-18F aircraft. But for now, the S-3, with the long range (ten hours per sortie), day/night video capability of the Lantirn, and lightweight search radar, make it a much more effective maritime patrol aircraft. The Lantirn pod costs two million dollars, and is hung off a hard point like a bomb or fuel tank.

It is pretty dumb IMO that this article actually says "The end of the Cold War ended most of the submarine threat" because it implies people believe that to be true. Lets stick our heads in the sand, we are living in a time of the largest rate of submarine construction since WWII, and there is no submarine threat?

You almost had to believe there is no submarine threat to retire the S-3 from ASW though. The platform was never perfect, but there once was a time where 'good enough' in the Navy was a damn good thing for capabilities. Yes, that was back when we had fixed wing ASW on our carriers, what we can now refer to as the good ole days.

What was the most lethal weapon at sea in the 20th century again? Oh ya, the submarine. It dominates every statistical category, and it isn't even close.