U.S Navy Receives First Floating Dry Dock After 40 Years From Austal USA

Austal USA launched the U.S Navy’s Auxiliary Floating Dry Dock Medium (AFDM) 15 on July 28, 2026. This is the first dry dock medium built in more than 4 decades and also the biggest vessel that the shipyard has launched in its 26-year operational history, and also its test and activation team’s biggest challenge.

It weighs 12,000 tons, is 694 ft long and has a working area on the deck spanning around 90,800 square feet. The platform is 157 ft wide and 65 m high from baseline to the wing deck.

During the launch, the AFDM 15 was taken from its assembly site in the Alabama Shipyard to the dry dock on Saturday, July 25, 2026.

The dry dock was then flooded, and the platform was then towed or launched into the river on Tuesday, July 28, 2026.

This was possible only because of the joint efforts by Austal USA’s different teams, including its engineers, crane and rigging operators and test and activation specialists.

The shipyard also recognised and appreciated the efforts of the U.S Navy, the Alabama Port Authority Harbour Pilots, ASY, Berard Transportation, EN Bisso and Son Towing, and Crescent Towing partners.

“The successful launch of AFDM 15 is a proud moment for everyone at Austal USA and a remarkable achievement for our entire team,” Austal USA President Gene Miller stated.

He said that building the AFDM was a challenge, and to see it being launched into the Mobile River is a testament to the skills, knowledge and expertise of the shipyard’s workforce.

The launch shows the capacity that the shipyard has built at the Gulf Coast, and he also thanked industry partners and the Navy for their support, which made the launch possible.

A Rennie-type floating dock, the AFDM has continuous wing walls and many pontoons arranged in sections to offer stability and the displacement needed for lifting and submerging vessels from the waters using buoyancy.

It has an 18,000 LT lifting capacity and can easily carry destroyers and cruisers. The AFDM has been designed to enhance operability and maintainability and remain a valuable asset for many years to come.

Its design incorporates the lessons learnt from owning and operating a similar dry dock in Austal USA’s ship repair facility in Mobile, Alabama.