By Troy Turner
The U.S. Navy has awarded Alabama Shipyard LLC in Mobile an $18.7 million contract for routine service and drydocking of its hospital ship USNS Mercy.
The Mercy’s sister ship, USNS Comfort, was a familiar sight in Mobile Bay in recent years during its service calls after Alabama Shipyard received similar contracts for that vessel.
The latest Mercy contract calls for a 153-calendar day shipyard availability and a base work package with options which, if exercised, would increase the cumulative value of the contract to almost $19 million.
Work will be performed in Mobile beginning July 15, 2025, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 14, 2025.
The Mercy and Comfort operate under the umbrella of the Navy’s Military Sealift Command, which is the contracting agency.
Mercy is a 1,000-bed hospital ship commissioned in 1986, with a military cadre crew of approximately eight officers and 53 enlisted personnel, and a civilian mariner cadre crew of approximately 15 personnel while in a Reduced Operating Status.
It is based at Naval Base San Diego, California.
Along with USNS Comfort, Mercy provides an afloat, mobile, acute surgical medical facilities when called upon to the U.S. military, and hospital services to support U.S. disaster relief and humanitarian operations worldwide.
Alabama Shipyard is located at the mouth of the Mobile River and specializes in providing maintenance, repair, overhaul, conversion and shipbreaking services to commercial and government markets.
Troy Turner is the editor and senior consultant for AlaDefense.com. He can be contacted at [email protected]. His bio can be found here.
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