Tracking ship

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", with the Designation Letter "V" or Letters "VC". ^[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 – 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 Anvesh (A41) of the 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 (scrapped)
• 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
• SS Pacific Tracker, a U.S. Maritime Administration Ready Reserve Force tracking ship - built as crane 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

See also

• Eastern Range
• List of ships of the United States Air Force
• List of auxiliaries of the United States Navy § Missile Range Instrumentation Ships (T-AGM)
• Sea-Based X-Band Radar
• Western Launch and Test Range

References

1. Deb, Sheershoo (April 2, 2021). "INS Dhruv: India's Secret Missile Tracking Ship". defencexp.com. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
2. "A603 Henri Poincaré". globalsecurity.org. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
3. "French Navy's Monge Missile Range Instrumentation Ship back at sea". navalnews.com. July 2, 2019. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
4. "INS Anvesh commissioning as seen in Indian Navy song". YouTube . 9 December 2022.
5. Sadham, Vinay (March 18, 2024). "Pakistan gets spy ship from China to track ballistic missiles". thenewsmil.com. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
6. "Military Sealift Command Fact Sheet". Archived from the original on October 27, 2002. 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. Archived from the original on March 9, 2012. Retrieved 2 February 2012.
9. "SIU - Keel laid for future USNS Observation Island replacement (8/25)" . Retrieved 2009-04-04.