Wink would know better than I, but those old ASW systems were designed decades ago and I think removed from the jets when the ASW role went away. Even if those old systems worked, would the capability be worth the investment of bringing them back online? Probably not. I guess my point is that expecting those airframes to bring any ASW capabilities as configured is easier said than done.
59 sonobouys. The ASW processors were removed in the mid to late 90s when some idiots thought the fall of the Soviet Union was the end of history. As to the technology as it existed during the life of the S-3, the ASW suite was very good. The same processors and avionic were on the CP-140 Aurora, an updated P-3 with the S-3 guts. The Canuks opted for the S-3 suite over the existing P-3C update III (I think). The limitation on the S-3 was that we had one enlisted AW reading the sonograms. If he was weak or got overloaded, there was no AW1 or AWC to look over his shoulder and provide "training" or other AWs to split up the work load. I don't know if the CP-140 still is running the same system. If so, then yes, there is support for it out there somewhere.
The Hoover had teething problems in the late 70s like most new airframes. Acceptance in the Airwing was sometimes a challenge and the reliability issues didn't always help. Also of interest to some here, VS leadership was a crap shoot. Some VP guys, some stoof drivers, and then there were the jet transition guys that were supposed to help with the expected change in culture from CVS/Stoof days to CV/jet. I had active duty skippers that were VP, and VA (A-7s) and one of the early S-3 only skippers. Saw department heads that were Viggie drivers, A-4s, P-3s and C-1s and S-2s. At one point, the RAG skipper was a former Black Pony! I saw my front office go from P-3 NFO to Vietnam combat A-7 pilot. Talk about culture changes.
The sweet spot for he War Hoover was after conversion to the B model and the new capabilities that came with it. By then the Viking was well enough known and the leadership was all jet VS. In addition to ASW it had capabilities that, as they say, were force multipliers. What the Hoover did was free up other platforms to do what they did best. Took ESM duties from the Hummer and VAQ, tanking and SSC from attack aircraft, could lay mines, shoot Harpoons and SLAMs in the littorals where a 3G aircraft could survive, and let the pointy nose guys get the glory. But alas, that period only lasted a few years before money (no peace dividend for the Hoov) and shortsightedness (no CV ASW threat, really?) doomed the Viking. It wasn't lack of mission or capability. The S-3B had great capabilities. There were just too many jets in the wing and a pretty unique logistics tail.