Tracking ship



Missile Range Instrumentation Ships, Range Ships, or Tracking Ships, are ships 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, the Range Ships extend the range of shore based tracking facilities.

In the United States the initial Tracking Ships were constructed by the US Army and then US Air Force to support their Missile Programs. They were generally built on a surplus Liberty ship or Victory ship hull. By 1964 the US Navy took over all the Range Ships and introduced more.

Chinese Navy
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 – present
 * 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 (A603) 1964-1990? &mdash; ex-Italian oil tanker

Active
 * Monge (A601) 1992–present &mdash; purpose-built

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)
 * Kosmonaut Yuri Gagarin 1971-1996 (scrapped)
 * Космонавт Виктор Пацаев, Kosmonaut Viktor Potsaev 1968-2001 (museum attraction)
 * Космонавт Георгий Добровольский, Kosmonaut Georgy Dobrovolsky 1978-2006 (scrapped)
 * Soviet command ship SSV-33 1989-2001 (laid up, in process of utilization)
 * Маршал Неделин, Marshal Nedelin 1984-1996 (scrapped)
 * Маршал Крылов, Marshal Krylov 1990
 * Космонавт Георгий Добровольский, Kosmonaut Georgy Dobrovolsky (scrapped)

United States Navy/United States Air Force
There are currently only two active Instrumentation Ships in the US Navy inventory: USNS Observation Island and USNS Invincible. USNS Howard O. Lorenzen was delivered in January 2012 and is slated to replace USNS Observation Island. 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) 1959-19? - 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 (transport/freighter), US Coast Guard training ship
 * USNS Sword Knot (T-AGM-13) 1950s-1982 - purpose built ship C1-M ship for US Air Force
 * USNS Rose Knot (T-AGM-14) 1950s-1969 - purpose built C1-M ship for US Air Force
 * USNS Coastal Sentry (T-AGM-15) late 1950s-1972 - USN C1-M cargo ship
 * USNS Coastal Crusader (T-AGM-16) late 1950s-1976 - USN C1-M cargo ship
 * USNS Timber Hitch (T-AGM-17) 1964-1969 - purpose built C1-M ship for US Air Force
 * USNS Sampan Hitch (T-AGM-18) 1964-1973 - purpose built C1-M ship for US Air Force
 * USNS Vanguard (T-AGM-19) 1964-1999 - built as Type T2-SE-A2 tanker/supplies ship
 * USNS Redstone (T-AGM-20) 1964-? - built as Type T2-SE-A2 tanker/supplies ship
 * USNS Mercury (T‑AGM‑21) 1964-1974? - built as Type T2-SE-A2 tanker/supplies ship
 * USNS Range Sentinel (T-AGM-22) 1969-1974 - USN Haskell-class attack transport (Victory ship variation) Sherburne (APA-205)

Active

 * USNS Observation Island (T-AGM-23) 1977–present - built as "Mariner" class merchant ship
 * USNS Invincible (T-AGM-24) 2000–present - built as research ship
 * USNS Waters (T-AGS-45) 1991–present
 * Pathfinder-class survey ships (T-AGS 60-66)

In trials

 * USNS Howard O. Lorenzen (T-AGM-25) Delivered in January 2012; purpose built to replace Observation Island.