Missile Range instrumentation Ship USNS Range Sentinel
U.S. Army tracking ship (1958-1964) USAS American Mariner docked at Chaguaramus, Trinidad
The Monge (A601) of the French Navy, 1999.
Timber Hitch being supplied with additional fresh water from USAS American Mariner, December 1961.
Kosmonaut Yuri Gagarin underway, 1986.
USNS Vanguard underway.
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.
Missile range instrumentation ships[]
[]
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
[]
The Poincaré was a converted tanker, but the Monge was a purpose built ship.
Inactive
- Henri Poincaré (A603) 1964-1990?[1] — ex-Italian oil tanker
Active
- Monge (A601) 1992–present[2] — purpose-built
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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)
- Russian: Космонавт Виктор Пацаев, Kosmonaut Viktor Potsaev 1968-2001 (museum attraction)
- Russian: Космонавт Георгий Добровольский, Kosmonaut Georgy Dobrovolsky 1978-2006 (scrapped)
- Soviet command ship SSV-33 1989-2001 (laid up, in process of utilization)
- Russian: Маршал Неделин, Marshal Nedelin 1984-1996 (scrapped)
- Russian: Маршал Крылов, Marshal Krylov 1990
- Russian: Космонавт Георгий Добровольский, Kosmonaut Georgy Dobrovolsky (scrapped)
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There are currently only two active Instrumentation Ships in the US Navy inventory: USNS Observation Island (T-AGM-23) and USNS Invincible (T-AGM-24).[3] USNS Howard O. Lorenzen (T-AGM-25)[4] was delivered in January 2012[5] and is slated to replace USNS Observation Island.[6] 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.
See also[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tracking ships. |
- Eastern Range
- List of ships of the United States Air Force
- Sea-Based X-Band Radar
- Western Launch and Test Range
References[]
- ↑ military-today.com, Poincare
- ↑ military-today.com, Monge
- ↑ "Military Sealift Command Fact Sheet". http://www.msc.navy.mil/factsheet/t-agm.htm. Retrieved 2008-02-10.
- ↑ "Range Instrumentation Ship Photo Index". http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/53/5325.htm. Retrieved 2009-04-04.
- ↑ "Navy Accepts Delivery of USNS Howard O. Lorenzen". Navy.mil. 12 January 2012. No. NNS120112-16. http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=64740. Retrieved 2 February 2012.
- ↑ "SIU - Keel laid for future USNS Observation Island replacement (8/25)". http://www.seafarers.org/HeardAtHQ/2008/Q3/keel.xml. Retrieved 2009-04-04.
The original article can be found at Tracking ship and the edit history here.