(Photo/Austal USA)
By Troy Turner
MOBILE — Alabama Shipyard and shipbuilder Austal USA announced on their social media sites the successful launch Thursday of what they report as the largest vessel ever launched in Mobile’s history.
“With the successful launch of AFDM 15, the U.S. Navy’s first Auxiliary Floating Dry Dock Medium built in more than 40 years, our team set a new benchmark for Mobile shipbuilding,” Austal USA stated. “At 694 feet long, 157 feet wide and approximately 12,000 tons, AFDM 15 is the largest vessel by overall dimensions known to have been launched from a Mobile-area shipyard into the Mobile River.
“It is also the largest launch Austal USA has executed in our 26-year history.”
The AFDM 15 will serve as a mobile floating dry dock for the U.S. Navy to lift, construct, maintain and repair a wide range of surface combatants and amphibious warships.
Alabama Shipyard, which works in tandem with Austal USA after the latter company’s expansion in asset ownership of waterside property, posted several photos late Thursday on its Facebook page.
“As the only shipyard facility in Mobile capable of launching a vessel of this size, Alabama Shipyard is proud to provide the expertise and infrastructure needed to support some of the maritime industry’s most complex operations,” it said.
AFDM 15 was carefully transferred onto Dry Dock Alabama before launch.
(Photo/Alabama Shipyard)
“Executing a project of this scale required extensive planning, precision and coordination every step of the way,” Alabama Shipyard said.
The Austal comments posted Friday included mention of Mobile’s previous-largest launch.
“From the massive floating dry docks built here during World War II to the 616-foot American Phoenix tanker launched in 2011, Mobile has a long, proud history of building big,” it said.
Troy Turner is the editor and senior consultant for AlaDefense.com. He can be contacted at [email protected]. His bio can be found here.
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