Philly Shipyard Wins Contract for Hospital Ship Design Study

Philly Shipyard, Inc. has announced the contract award to conduct a six-month feasibility study of the U.S. Navy’s new T-AH(X) hospital ship.

The T-AH(X) are planned to replace the two current hospital ships, USNS Mercy and USNS Comfort, which are owned by the U.S. Navy and operated by Military Sealift Command (MSC).

The design study is being performed for naval architecture firm, Gibbs & Cox. Philly Shipyard will subcontract to Vard Marine Inc. to provide engineering and technical services.

“This contract win highlights our commitment to pursuing and securing work in the government market,” said Steinar Nerbovik, Philly Shipyard President and CEO. “Along with our current commercial and government backlog of shipbuilding projects, we have completed previous design studies for the U.S. Navy and are very interested in pursuing government opportunities that fit our production delivery cycles and skill sets. We are excited and grateful to team up, once again, with Vard Marine on this important industry study.”

Philly Shipyard and VARD will use design work from a special study completed for the U.S. Navy’s CHAMP program to inform their work going forward.

The T-AH(X) hospital ship is different from Navy’s Expeditionary Medical Ship (EMS(X)), known as the Bethesda Class Expeditionary Medical Ship. Compared to their predecessors, USNS Mercy and USNS Comfort, the EMS ships are designed with a shallower draft and faster operating speed, enabling them to reach shallow ports and provide care at a faster speed.

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