Abstract: As an improvement to the architecture, utility, efficiency and cost associated with the procurement, setup, and operation of a real-time tracking/autonomous destruct and data recovery system for vehicles capable of exhibiting great velocities, accelerations, and attitude rates during all mission phases. A vehicle based independent tracking system 10 consists of an on-board vehicle data tracking system 12, an on-board vehicle data transmission system 14, an off-board flight data monitoring system 16, and a remote computer setup/test system 18. An interface umbilical-a 82 interconnects on-board vehicle data tracking system 12 with on-board vehicle data transmission system 14 for real-time transmission of dynamic time, space and position information of rockets and like vehicles to off-board flight data monitoring system 16 during all mission phases via an RF communication interface 86.