Class of ships used for tracking missiles and satellites
Missile Range instrumentation Ship USNS Range Sentinel (T-AGM 22) 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",[ 1]
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 – presentYuanwang 2 , 1978 – presentYuanwang 3 , 1995 – presentYuanwang 4 , 1999 – 2010Yuanwang 5 , 2007 – presentYuanwang 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
Active
Indian Navy
Pakistan Navy
Kosmonavt Yuri Gagarin The Soviet and later Russian ships were purpose built vessels for their role.
Kosmonaut Vladimir Komarov Akademik Sergei Korolev Kosmonavt Yuri Gagarin Kosmonaut Viktor Patsaev [ru ] Kosmonaut Georgy Dobrovolsky [ru ] Kosmonaut Pavel Belyaev [ru ] Kosmonaut Vladislav Volkov [ru ] Morzhovetz [ru ] Nevel [ru ] Borovitchi [ru ] Kegostrov [ru ] SSV-33 Ural Marshal Nedelin [ru ] Marshal Krylov [ru ]
USNS Vanguard underwayU.S. Army tracking ship (1958–1964) USAS American Mariner docked at Chaguaramus , TrinidadTimber Hitch USAS American Mariner , December 1961There are currently only two active Instrumentation Ships in the U.S. Navy inventory: USNS Invincible (T-AGM-24) [ 6] USNS Howard O. Lorenzen (T-AGM-25) .[ 7] [ 8] USNS Observation Island (T-AGM-23) in 2014.[ 9] 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 shipUSNS Richfield (T-AGM-4) , 1960–1968 - built as Victory shipUSNS Sunnyvale (T-AGM-5) , 1960–1974 - built as Victory shipUSNS Watertown (T-AGM-6) , 1960–1972 - built as Victory shipUSNS Huntsville (T-AGM-7) , 1960–1974 - built as Victory shipUSNS Wheeling (T-AGM-8) , 1962–1990 - built as Victory shipUSNS 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 shipUSNS Twin Falls (T-AGM-11) , 1964–1972 - built as Victory shipUSNS American Mariner (T-AGM-12) , 1959–1966 - built as Liberty ship (transport/freighter), US Coast Guard training shipUSNS 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 shipUSNS Coastal Sentry (T-AGM-15) , 1950s–1972 - C1-M cargo shipUSNS Coastal Crusader (T-AGM-16) , late 1950s–1976 - C1-M cargo shipUSNS Timber Hitch (T-AGM-17) , 1964–1969 - C1-M cargo shipUSNS Sampan Hitch (T-AGM-18) , 1964–1973 - C1-M cargo shipUSNS 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 tankerUSNS Mercury (T‑AGM‑21) , 1964–1974? - built as Type T2-SE-A2 tankerUSNS Range Sentinel (T-AGM-22) , 1969–1974 - USN Haskell -classattack transport (Victory ship variation) Sherburne (APA-205)USNS Observation Island (T-AGM-23) , 1977–2014 - built as "Mariner" class merchant ship
Active
See also
References
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