Hospital Ships - T-AH

Description: Two hospital ships owned and operated by Military Sealift Command provide emergency, on-site care for U.S. combatant forces deployed in war or other operations. The hospital ships' secondary mission is to provide full hospital services to support U.S. disaster relief and humanitarian operations worldwide

Features: USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) and USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) each contain 12 fully-equipped operating rooms, a 1,000 bed hospital facility, digital radiological services, a medical laboratory, a pharmacy, an optometry lab, a CAT-scan and two oxygen producing plants. Each ship is equipped with a helicopter deck capable of landing large military helicopters. The ships also have side ports to take on patients at sea.

Background: Both hospital ships are converted San Clemente-class super tankers. Mercy was delivered in 1986 and Comfort in 1987. Normally, the ships are kept in a reduced operating status in Baltimore, Md., and San Diego, Calif., by a small crew of civil service mariners and active duty Navy medical and support personnel. Each ship can be fully activated and crewed within five days.

Point of contact:
   Public Affairs Office
   Military Sealift Command
   914 Charles Morris Court SE
   Washington Navy Yard, D.C. 20398-5540
   (202) 685-5055 or www.msc.navy.mil

General Characteristcs: Mercy Class
Conversion: National Steel and Shipbuilding Co., San Diego, Calif.
Power Plant: Two GE turbines; two boilers; 24,500 hp (18.3MW); one shaft
Length: 894 feet (272.6 meters)
Beam: 106 feet (32.2 meters)
Displacement: 69,360 tons (70,473.10 metric tons) full load
Speed: 17.5 knots (20.13 mph)
Aircraft: Helicopter platform only
Ships: No homeports assigned
   USNS Mercy (T-AH 19)*
   USNS Comfort (T-AH 20)**
* In reduced operating status in San Diego when not activated
**In reduced operating status in Baltimore when not activated

Full Operating Status Crew: 68 civil service mariners and up to 1,215 Naval medical personnel
Reduced Operating Status Crew: 18 civil service mariners and 58 Naval medical personnel

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