The abbreviation AFDM stands for Medium Auxiliary Floating Dry Dock (non self-propelled) in the military field, especially in the US. You can find more abbreviations starting with AF here. Also take a look at our list with military acronyms.
The Medium Floating Dry Dock
The AFDM is the medium class of the US Navy’s floating dry docks. It lifts frigate-sized and smaller vessels out of the water – large enough for most escort ships, yet small enough to be towed between bases. Examples such as the AFDM-6 “Resolute” served for decades in American naval bases.
How It Works
The principle is the same for all floating docks: the dock is flooded and sinks deep enough for the ship to float in; the gate closes, pumps empty the ballast tanks, and the dock rises with the ship on blocks. Repairs below the waterline – on the propellers, rudders or hull – become possible without a fixed shipyard.
AFDM appears in registers of vessels and logistics documents, between its smaller sister AFDL and the large AFDB. All three types share the suffix “non self-propelled”: they have no engines and must be towed.
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