Missile Range Instrumentation Ship

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Missile Range Instrumentations 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.

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).^[1]

[edit] See also

• Eastern Test Range
• US Air Force ships
• USNS Vanguard (T-AGM-19)
• USNS Redstone (T-AGM-20)
• USNS Mercury (T‑AGM‑21)
• USNS Range Sentinel (T-AGM-22)
• USNS Observation Island (T-AGM-23)
• USNS Invincible(T-AGM-24)

[edit] References