Wikipedia / Tracking ship
Wikipedia / Tracking ship
A tracking ship, also called a missile range instrumentation ship or range ship, is a ship equipped with antennas and electronics to support the launching and tracking of missiles and rockets. Since many missile ranges launch over ocean areas for safety reasons, range ships are used to extend the range of shore-based tracking facilities.
In the United States, the initial tracking ships were constructed by the U.S. Army and then the U.S. Air Force to support their missile programs. They were generally built on a surplus Liberty ship or Victory ship hull. By 1964, the U.S. Navy took over all the range ships and introduced more.
In some Navies, such a ship is also given the Type Designation "Vigilship" or "Veladora", with the Designation Letter "V" or Letters "VC".
Missile range instrumentation ships
People's Liberation Army Aerospace Force
The Chinese ships were purpose built vessels for their role in the navy and the space program.
Yuanwang class
Yuanwang 1, 1977 – present
Yuanwang 2, 1978 – present
Yuanwang 3, 1995 – present
Yuanwang 4, 1999 – 2010
Yuanwang 5, 2007 – present
Yuanwang 6, 2007 – present
Liaowang 1, 2023 – present
French Navy
Inactive
Henri Poincaré, 1964–1992 ex-Italian oil tanker
Active
Monge, 1992–present
Indian Navy
INS Dhruv, 2021–present
INS Anvesh, 2022–present
Pakistan Navy
PNS Rizwan, 2023–present
Russian Navy / Soviet Navy
The Soviet and later Russian ships were purpose built vessels for their role.
Kosmonaut Vladimir Komarov, 1966–1989 (scrapped)
Akademik Sergei Korolev, 1970–1996 (scrapped)
Kosmonavt Yuri Gagarin, 1971–1996 (scrapped)
, 1978–2001 (museum attraction)
, 1978–2006 (scrapped)
, 1977–2000 (scrapped)
, 1977–2000 (scrapped)
, 1967–1989 (scrapped)
, 1967–1989 (scrapped)
, 1967–1989 (scrapped)
, 1967–1989 (scrapped)
SSV-33 Ural, 1989–2001 (scrapped)
, 1984–2000 (scrapped)
, 1990
United States Navy/United States Air Force
There are currently only two active Instrumentation Ships in the U.S. Navy inventory: and . The former is now in the inactive fleet. The latter was delivered in January 2012 to replace USNS Observation Island (T-AGM-23) in 2014. Most of the USN and USAF tracking ships were converted into their role. Some ships were in service with NASA.
Inactive
USNS Range Tracker (T-AGM-1), 1961–1969 - built as Victory ship (transport/freighter)
USNS Range Recoverer (T-AGM-2), 1960–1972 - built for US Army
USNS Longview (T-AGM-3), 1959–1976? - built as Victory ship
USNS Richfield (T-AGM-4), 1960–1968 - built as Victory ship
USNS Sunnyvale (T-AGM-5), 1960–1974 - built as Victory ship
USNS Watertown (T-AGM-6), 1960–1972 - built as Victory ship
USNS Huntsville (T-AGM-7), 1960–1974 - built as Victory ship
USNS Wheeling (T-AGM-8), 1962–1990 - built as Victory ship
USNS General H. H. Arnold (T-AGM-9), 1961–1982 - built as C4 class troop ship
USNS General Hoyt S. Vandenberg (T-AGM-10), 1963–1983 - built as C4 class troop ship
USNS Twin Falls (T-AGM-11), 1964–1972 - built as Victory ship
USNS American Mariner (T-AGM-12), 1959–1966 - built as Liberty ship (transport/freighter), US Coast Guard training ship
USNS Sword Knot (T-AGM-13), 1950s–1982 - C1-M cargo ship built for US Maritime Commission
USNS Rose Knot (T-AGM-14), 1950s–1969 - C1-M cargo ship
USNS Coastal Sentry (T-AGM-15), 1950s–1972 - C1-M cargo ship
USNS Coastal Crusader (T-AGM-16), late 1950s–1976 - C1-M cargo ship
USNS Timber Hitch (T-AGM-17), 1964–1969 - C1-M cargo ship
USNS Sampan Hitch (T-AGM-18), 1964–1973 - C1-M cargo ship
USNS Vanguard (T-AGM-19), 1964–1999 - built as Type T2-SE-A2 tanker
USNS Redstone (T-AGM-20), 1964–1993 - built as Type T2-SE-A2 tanker
USNS Mercury (T‑AGM‑21), 1964–1974? - built as Type T2-SE-A2 tanker
USNS Range Sentinel (T-AGM-22), 1969–1974 - USN (Victory ship variation) Sherburne (APA-205)
USNS Observation Island (T-AGM-23), 1977–2014 - built as "Mariner" class merchant ship
SS Pacific Tracker, a U.S. Maritime Administration Ready Reserve Force tracking ship - built as crane ship.
Active
USNS Waters (T-AGS-45), 1991–present
USNS Invincible (T-AGM-24), 2000–present - built as ocean surveillance ship
USNS Howard O. Lorenzen (T-AGM-25), 2012–present - purpose built to replace Observation Island.
s (T-AGS 60–66), 1994–present
See also
References