A tracking ship, also called a missile range instrumentation ship or range ship, is a
ship
A ship is a large watercraft that travels the world's oceans and other sufficiently deep waterways, carrying cargo or passengers, or in support of specialized missions, such as defense, research, and fishing. Ships are generally distinguished ...
equipped with antennas and electronics to support the launching and tracking of
missile
In military terminology, a missile is a guided airborne ranged weapon capable of self-propelled flight usually by a jet engine or rocket motor. Missiles are thus also called guided missiles or guided rockets (when a previously unguided rocket ...
s and
rocket
A rocket (from it, rocchetto, , bobbin/spool) is a vehicle that uses jet propulsion to accelerate without using the surrounding air. A rocket engine produces thrust by reaction to exhaust expelled at high speed. Rocket engines work entir ...
s. 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 United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
, the initial tracking ships were constructed by the
U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
and then the
U.S. Air Force to support their missile programs. They were generally built on a surplus
Liberty ship
Liberty ships were a class of cargo ship built in the United States during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding Program. Though British in concept, the design was adopted by the United States for its simple, low-cost construction. Ma ...
or
Victory ship hull. By 1964, the
U.S. Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...
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
Chinese PLA Strategic Support 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
French Navy
The ''Poincaré'' was a converted tanker, but the ''Monge'' was a purpose-built ship.
Inactive
* ''
Henri Poincaré
Jules Henri Poincaré ( S: stress final syllable ; 29 April 1854 – 17 July 1912) was a French mathematician, theoretical physicist, engineer, and philosopher of science. He is often described as a polymath, and in mathematics as "Th ...
'', 1964–1992 — ex-
Italian oil tanker
Active
* ''
Monge
Gaspard Monge, Comte de Péluse (9 May 1746 – 28 July 1818) was a French mathematician, commonly presented as the inventor of descriptive geometry, (the mathematical basis of) technical drawing, and the father of differential geometry. During ...
'', 1992–present — purpose-built
Indian Navy
*
INS ''Dhruv'', 2020–present
*
INS Anvesh - Sea Trials
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
''Kosmonavt Yuriy Gagarin'' (russian: «Космона́вт Ю́рий Гага́рин») was a Soviet space control-monitoring ship or Vigilship (Veladora) that was devoted to detecting and receiving satellite communications. Named after cosmo ...
'', 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 (laid up, scrapping in progress)
* ', 1984–present
* ', 1990
United States Navy/United States Air Force
There are currently only two active Instrumentation Ships in the U.S. Navy inventory: and . 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
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research.
NASA was established in 1958, succeedin ...
.
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
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
*
USNS ''Longview'' (T-AGM-3), 1959–19? - built as Victory ship (transport/freighter)
*
USNS ''Richfield'' (T-AGM-4), 1960–1968 - built as Victory ship (transport/freighter)
*
USNS ''Sunnyvale'' (T-AGM-5), 1960–1974 - built as Victory ship (transport/freighter)
*
USNS ''Watertown'' (T-AGM-6), 1960–1972 - built as Victory ship (transport/freighter)
*
USNS ''Huntsville'' (T-AGM-7), 1960–1974 - built as Victory ship (transport/freighter)
*
USNS Wheeling (T-AGM-8), 1962–1990 - built as Victory ship (transport/freighter)
*
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 (transport/freighter)
*
USNS ''American Mariner'' (T-AGM-12), 1959–1966 - built as
Liberty ship
Liberty ships were a class of cargo ship built in the United States during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding Program. Though British in concept, the design was adopted by the United States for its simple, low-cost construction. Ma ...
(transport/freighter), US Coast Guard training ship
*
USNS ''Sword Knot'' (T-AGM-13), 1950s–1982 -
C1-M cargo ship built for US
Maritime Commission
The United States Maritime Commission (MARCOM) was an independent executive agency of the U.S. federal government that was created by the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, which was passed by Congress on June 29, 1936, and was abolished on May 24, 195 ...
*
USNS ''Rose Knot'' (T-AGM-14), 1950s–1969 -
C1-M cargo ship built for US
Maritime Commission
The United States Maritime Commission (MARCOM) was an independent executive agency of the U.S. federal government that was created by the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, which was passed by Congress on June 29, 1936, and was abolished on May 24, 195 ...
*
USNS ''Coastal Sentry'' (T-AGM-15), 1950s–1972 -
C1-M cargo ship built for US
Maritime Commission
The United States Maritime Commission (MARCOM) was an independent executive agency of the U.S. federal government that was created by the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, which was passed by Congress on June 29, 1936, and was abolished on May 24, 195 ...
*
USNS ''Coastal Crusader'' (T-AGM-16), late 1950s–1976 -
C1-M cargo ship built for US
Maritime Commission
The United States Maritime Commission (MARCOM) was an independent executive agency of the U.S. federal government that was created by the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, which was passed by Congress on June 29, 1936, and was abolished on May 24, 195 ...
*
USNS ''Timber Hitch'' (T-AGM-17), 1964–1969 -
C1-M cargo ship built for US
Maritime Commission
The United States Maritime Commission (MARCOM) was an independent executive agency of the U.S. federal government that was created by the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, which was passed by Congress on June 29, 1936, and was abolished on May 24, 195 ...
*
USNS Sampan Hitch (T-AGM-18), 1964–1973 -
C1-M cargo ship built for US
Maritime Commission
The United States Maritime Commission (MARCOM) was an independent executive agency of the U.S. federal government that was created by the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, which was passed by Congress on June 29, 1936, and was abolished on May 24, 195 ...
*
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
Active
*
USNS ''Waters'' (T-AGS-45), 1991–present
*
USNS ''Invincible'' (T-AGM-24), 2000–present - built as
ocean surveillance ship
''Stalwart''-class auxiliary general ocean surveillance ships ( T-AGOS) were a class of United States Naval Ship
United States Naval Ship (USNS) is the prefix designation given to non- commissioned ships that are property of the United Stat ...
*
USNS ''Howard O. Lorenzen'' (T-AGM-25), 2012–present - purpose built to replace ''Observation Island''.
* s (T-AGS 60-66)
See also
*
Eastern Range
*
List of ships of the United States Air Force
Starting in 1957 the US Air Force began operating a small fleet of Missile Range Instrumentation Ships to support missile test ranges. They were designated "ORV" for Ocean Range Vessel. They used the ship name prefix "USAF" (''e.g.'': USAF ''Co ...
*
Sea-Based X-Band Radar
*
Western Launch and Test Range
References
{{reflist
Missile range instrumentation ships
Ship types
Cold War auxiliary ships of the United States
Maritime vessels related to spaceflight
Research vessels
Research vessels of the United States
Rockets and missiles
Signals intelligence