Immediately after finalizing a deal on a new repair facility in the Port of San Diego, Austal USA placed an order for a floating drydock. The new floating drydock, optimized to efficiently dock small surface combatants and similar sized ships, will be the centerpiece of the new repair facility.
“This dry dock will greatly enhance Austal’s ability to provide the Navy and other customers a highly capable full-service repair facility located in the homeport of San Diego,” Austal USA President Rusty Murdaugh said in a statement announcing the order. “It will be invaluable to our customers, and we are eager to satisfy their growing demand for West Coast repair facilities that include drydocks.”
The 531'x154' drydock will have a 9,000 light ton lifting capacity and a maximum draft of 36' (11 meters). Construction on the drydock began Monday and the completed vessel is scheduled to be fully operational in Austal’s new San Diego repair facility by August 2023.
This contract is one of several milestones Austal USA has achieved over the last several weeks to grow the capability and capacity of its services business, shipyard officials said. The acquisition of the San Diego facility and the drydock, combined with recent contract awards, further cement Austal USA’s role in maintaining and repairing ships throughout the U.S. and INDOPACOM region.
