United States Air Force ships

Starting in 1957 the US Air Force began operating a small fleet of Missile Range Instrumentation Ships to support missile test ranges. They were designated "ORV" for Ocean Range Vessel. They used the ship name prefix "USAF" ("e.g.": USAF "Coastal Crusader" (ORV-16)).

The initial twelve Atlantic Missile Range ships were modified World War II cargo vessels. Six were FS-type ships and six were C1-M-AV-1 vessels. All were equipped with telemetry systems. Two of the C1-M-AV-1 types, "Coastal Sentry" and "Rose Knot", were equipped with command/control transmitters.cite web |url= http://www.patrick.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=4516 |title= DEVELOPMENT OF THE 45SW EASTERN RANGE |accessdate= 2007-04-27]

The smaller FS types were retired by 1960. In 1964 the US Navy took over operation of the larger C1-M-AV-1 type, and redisgnated them as AGM [cite web |url= http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/53/5316.htm |title= USAT PVT. Joe R. Hastings/USAF Coastal Crusader (ORV-16)/AGM-16 / AGS-36 Coastal Crusader |accessdate= 2006-08-19] . The original larger ORV were out of service on the Eastern Test Range by 1969.

The U.S. Air Force does still operate a small fleet of drone recovery vessels nicknamed the "Tyndall Navy". These ships recover pieces of wreckage from drones and aerial targets from the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The largest of these vessels are three 120 foot ships operated by the 82nd Aerial Targets Squadron, which is based at Tyndall AFB, Florida [ [http://www.tyndall.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-071105-012.pdf EIA - FY2003 ] ] .

US Air Force ship list

* FS Type
** USAF "Echo"
** USAF "Foxtrot"
** USAF "Golf"
** USAF "Hotel"
** USAF "India"
** USAF "Kilo" - USAFS American Mariner ex-USAS American Mariner
* C1-M-AV-1 Type
** USAF "Sword Knot"
** USAF "Rose Knot"
** USAF "Coastal Sentry"
** USAF "Coastal Crusader" (ORV-16)
** USAF "Timber Hitch"
** USAF "Sampam Hitch"
* VC2-S-AP3 Type
** USAF "Twin Falls Victory"
* C4-S-A1 Type
** USAF "General Hoyt S. Vandenberg" (ex USS "General Harry Taylor" (AP-145)) [cite web |url= http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/22/22145.htm |title= USS General Harry Taylor (AP-145) / USAT General Harry Taylor / USNS General Harry Taylor (T-AP-145) / USAFS General Hoyt S. Vandenberg / USNS General Hoyt S. Vandenberg (T-AGM-10) |accessdate= 2006-04-27]
** USAF "General H. H. Arnold" (ex USS "General R. E. Callan" (AP-139)) [cite web |url= http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/22/22139.htm |title= AP-139 / USAT / T-AP-139 General R. E. Callan USAF / T-AGM-9 H. H. Arnold |accessdate= 2007-04-27]
* EC2-S-C1 Type
** USAF "American Mariner" (ex SS "George Calvert")cite web |url= http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/53/5312.htm |title= NavSource: USAS American Mariner/USAFS American Mariner/USNS American Mariner (T-AGM-12) |accessdate= 2007-04-27]

ee also

* Eastern Test Range
* Pan American Airways Guided Missile Range Division
* Missile Test Project

External links

* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/53/53idx.htm Navsource photos the ships (except FS types)]

References