Austal gets $128M to build US Navy’s auxiliary floating dry dock

Shipbuilder Austal USA has been awarded the detailed design and construction (DD&C) contract valued at $128 million for the US Navy auxiliary floating dry dock medium (AFDM). 

The AFDM is a Rennie-type floating dry dock with an 18,000 LT lifting capacity and a clear deck working area of 90,800 square feet (8435 square meters). The craft has an overall length of 694 feet (211.5 meters), an overall pontoon breadth of 157 feet (47.8 meters), and a height of 65 feet (19.8 meters) from baseline to wing deck.

The dry dock will be constructed in Austal’s steel panel line in Mobile, Alabama.

The design incorporates features to improve operability and maintainability based on the company’s knowledge learned from owning, operating, and maintaining a similar dry dock at its repair facility at Austal West Campus.

“Combined with our contract for the T-ATS program, the AFDM award is evidence of our expanding capability and focus on delivering a diverse portfolio of solutions…,”  Austal USA President Rusty Murdaugh said.

To remind, in October last year, the American company was awarded a multi-million dollar contract by the US Navy for a detailed design and construction of towage, salvage, and rescue ships (T-ATS).

Austal has contracted local Alabama steel provider Ssab to provide steel for the new navy ships. 

T-ATS will provide ocean-going tug, salvage, and rescue capabilities to support US fleet operations and will be a multi-mission common hull platform capable of towing heavy ships. These ships will be able to support current missions, including oil spill response, humanitarian assistance, and wide-area search and surveillance.