Austal USA launches largest vessel in Mobile shipyard history

Austal USA launches largest vessel in Mobile shipyard history

Published: Jul. 31, 2026 at 5:56 PM CDT|Updated: 3 hours ago

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - Austal USA and Alabama Shipyard have launched the AFDM 15, the U.S. Navy’s first auxiliary floating dry dock built in more than 40 years, into the Mobile River.

Measuring 694 feet and weighing approximately 12,000 tons, the AFDM 15 is the largest vessel ever launched from a Mobile-area shipyard, surpassing the record previously held by the 616-foot American Phoenix tanker, which launched in 2011.

The launch also marks the largest in Austal USA’s 26-year history.

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