Austal USA set milestones with its latest launch — a floating dry dock for the U.S. Navy that is the first new Auxiliary Floating Dry Dock Medium in 40 years and the largest vessel launched from Austal’s Mobile site.
The July 28 launch, just announced this week, set afloat a 12,000 ton, 694-foot-long vessel with 90,800 square feet of deck space.
To set the vessel afloat, the teams had to first transfer the drydock from its assembly point at Alabama Shipyard to their drydock, then flood the dry dock and tow AFDM 15 into the Mobile River — a process involving test and activation teams, crane and rigging teams, engineering teams and AFDM program teams.
Austal also acknowledged the role of the Navy, the Alabama Port Authority harbor pilots, Alabama Shipyard, Berard Transportation, E.N. Bisso & Son Towing and Crescent Towing in achieving the launch.
“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. “Building the Navy’s first Auxiliary Floating Dry Dock Medium in over 40 years is no small feat, and to see it launched into the Mobile River is a testament to the skill, dedication, and expertise of our workforce. This launch reflects the incredible capability we have right here on the Gulf Coast. We are grateful for the strong partnerships with the Navy and our industry partners that made this milestone possible, and we look forward to delivering a world-class asset that will serve the fleet for decades to come.”
The vessel is a “Rennie” type floating drydock, able to accommodate Navy destroyers and cruisers.
