Just a day after leaving Alabama Shipyard, the hospital ship USNS Mercy is heading south through the central Gulf of Mexico. New data from the Automatic Identification System (AIS) gives a clear idea of where the 1,000-bed ship might be going.
As per the latest AIS data from MarineTraffic, recorded at 02:11 UTC on February 26, Mercy is traveling at about 10.8 knots, which is within her typical cruising speed of 10–12 knots. She is moving on a steady south-southeast path through the Gulf. Her direction is aimed at the Yucatán Channel, without any indication of turning east towards the Florida Straits, which is the usual route for large ships heading to the U.S. East Coast.
The AIS data still shows both her starting point and destination as Mobile, meaning there hasn’t been any updated destination shared publicly.
This course suggests that Mercy is likely headed towards the Panama Canal, indicating a movement towards the Pacific and the U.S. West Coast rather than a mission to Greenland.
This analysis aligns with Mercy’s planned schedule. The ship is set to enter a $90 million maintenance period at Vigor Industrial in Portland, Oregon, in March. Maritime analyst Sal Mercogliano mentioned that the vessel is planned to return to the West Coast for shipyard availability extending until September 2026.
The recent work at the Alabama shipyard focused on urgent drydock repairs related to a ballast tank issue and is separate from the upcoming maintenance work scheduled in Oregon.
Mercy’s departure from Mobile has sparked talks about a possible mission to Greenland, especially after President Donald Trump mentioned on social media that the U.S. would “send a hospital ship there,” including an AI-generated image of USNS Mercy.
However, The Wall Street Journal later reported that U.S. officials have made no orders to send a hospital ship, including Mercy, to Greenland. Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen also dismissed the idea, stating that the country has universal public healthcare. The Greenland mission was not addressed in the President’s State of the Union speech.
From an operational standpoint, shifting northward would present significant challenges. Mercy is a converted oil tanker without an ice-strengthened hull and has never navigated Arctic waters. Late winter conditions near Greenland often have pack ice and heavy drifting ice, which can be dangerous for ships not rated for ice. Additionally, Nuuk’s harbor depth is about 10.5 meters, which leaves little clearance for a ship that requires around 10 meters; Mercy’s AIS data indicates a draft of 9.5 meters.
It's important to be cautious when interpreting AIS data. Some fields are often left blank or unchanged, and vessels can restrict updates for operational security. Nonetheless, the lack of a revised destination, combined with the vessel’s consistent southward journey, suggests that no reroute has been officially filed.
For now, Mercy continues her steady path toward the Yucatán Channel. It remains uncertain whether she will pass through Panama for her scheduled maintenance on the West Coast or receive new orders. However, as of Wednesday afternoon, AIS data indicates she is heading south towards Panama, not north towards the Arctic and Greenland.
Meanwhile, her sister ship, USNS Comfort, is still at Alabama Shipyard.