Tracking_ship

Tracking ship

Class of ships used for tracking missiles and satellites

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.

Missile Range instrumentation Ship USNS Range Sentinel (T-AGM 22)

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"^[1]^{[circular reference]}, with the Designation Letter "V" or Letters "VC".

Missile range instrumentation ships

Chinese PLA Strategic Support Force

Yuanwang 2

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 Monge (A601) of the French Navy, 1999

The Poincaré was a converted tanker, but the Monge was a purpose-built ship.

Inactive

Henri Poincaré, 1964–1992^[2] — ex-Italian oil tanker

Active

Monge, 1992–present^[3] — purpose-built

Indian Navy

INS Dhruv, 2021–present
INS Anvesh - 2022–present^[4]

Pakistan Navy

PNS Rizwan, 2023–present^[5]

Russian Navy / Soviet Navy

Kosmonavt Yuri Gagarin underway, 1987

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)
Kosmonaut Viktor Patsaev [ru], 1978–2001 (museum attraction)
Kosmonaut Georgy Dobrovolsky [ru], 1978–2006 (scrapped)
Kosmonaut Pavel Belyaev [ru], 1977–2000 (scrapped)
Kosmonaut Vladislav Volkov [ru], 1977–2000 (scrapped)
Morzhovetz [ru], 1967–1989 (scrapped)
Nevel [ru], 1967–1989 (scrapped)
Borovitchi [ru], 1967–1989 (scrapped)
Kegostrov [ru], 1967–1989 (scrapped)
SSV-33 Ural, 1989–2001 (laid up, scrapping in progress)
Marshal Nedelin [ru], 1984–2000 (scrapped)
Marshal Krylov [ru], 1990

United States Navy/United States Air Force

USNS Vanguard underway

U.S. Army tracking ship (1958-1964) USAS American Mariner docked at Chaguaramus, Trinidad

Timber Hitch being supplied with additional fresh water from USAS American Mariner, December 1961

There are currently only two active Instrumentation Ships in the U.S. Navy inventory: USNS Invincible (T-AGM-24)^[6] and USNS Howard O. Lorenzen (T-AGM-25).^[7] The former is now in the inactive fleet. The latter was delivered in January 2012^[8] to replace USNS Observation Island (T-AGM-23) in 2014.^[9] 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 Haskell-class attack transport (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
USNS Howard O. Lorenzen (T-AGM-25), 2012–present - purpose built to replace Observation Island.
Pathfinder-class survey ships (T-AGS 60-66), 1994-present

References

[1]
Soviet ship Kosmonavt Yuriy Gagarin
[2]
military-today.com, Poincare
[3]
military-today.com, Monge
[4]
"INS Anvesh commissioning as seen in Indian Navy song". YouTube. 9 December 2022.
[5]
"Pakistan gets spy ship from China to track ballistic missiles". 18 March 2024.
[6]
"Military Sealift Command Fact Sheet". Retrieved 2008-02-10.
[7]
"Range Instrumentation Ship Photo Index". Retrieved 2009-04-04.
[8]
"Navy Accepts Delivery of USNS Howard O. Lorenzen". Navy.mil. 12 January 2012. No. NNS120112-16. Retrieved 2 February 2012.
[9]
"SIU - Keel laid for future USNS Observation Island replacement (8/25)". Retrieved 2009-04-04.

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