Mercy-class hospital ship
The Mercy class of hospital ships are converted San Clemente-class supertankers used by the United States Navy. Originally built in the 1970s by the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, they were acquired by the Navy and converted into hospital ships, coming into service in 1986 and 1987.
USNS Mercy in 2012 | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Mercy class |
| Builders | National Steel and Shipbuilding Company |
| Operators | United States Navy |
| Preceded by | Haven-class hospital ship |
| Built | 1974–1976 as San Clemente-class oil tanker |
| In commission | 1986–present |
| Completed | 2 |
| Active | 2 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Hospital ship |
| Displacement | 69,360 long tons (70,473 t) |
| Length | 894 ft (272 m) |
| Beam | 105 ft 7 in (32.18 m) |
| Propulsion | Two boilers, two GE turbines, one shaft, 24,500 hp (18 MW) |
| Speed | 17.5 knots (32.4 km/h; 20.1 mph) |
| Complement |
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| Time to activate | 76 hours |
| Armament |
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| Aviation facilities | Helicopter landing deck |
Mercy class replaced the Haven-class hospital ships.
The ships are operated by Military Sealift Command and are designed to provide emergency, on-site care for American combatant forces, and also for use in support of disaster relief and humanitarian operations. Each ship contains twelve fully equipped operating rooms, a 1,000-bed hospital facility, radiological services, a medical laboratory, pharmacy, optometry lab, CT scan equipment, and two oxygen-producing plants.