VESSEL REVIEW | AFDM 15 – US Navy acquires medium floating dry dock for surface ship maintenance

Austal USA has completed outfitting work on AFDM 15, a new Auxiliary Floating Dry Dock Medium intended to support maintenance of United States Navy surface combatants. The non-self-propelled floating facility measures approximately 694 feet in length and is designed to lift vessels such as destroyers, cruisers and littoral combat ships clear of the water for repairs. Launched into Alabama's Mobile River on July 28, 2026, it is the first new Navy dry dock of this type built in more than four decades. Outfitting completion marks industrial progress, separate from operational delivery, positioning and fleet maintenance work.