# List of ship launches in 1981

The list of ship launches in 1981 includes a chronological list of all ships launched in 1981.
| Date | Country | Builder | Location | Ship | Class / type | Notes |
| 28 January | West Germany | Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft | Kiel | Frankfurt Express | Container ship | For Hapag-Lloyd |
| 6 February | Poland | Stocznia Szczecinska im Adolfa Warskiego Warskiego | Szczecin | Lev Tolstoy | Dmitriy Shostakovich-class ferry | For Black Sea Shipping Company. |
| 7 February | United States | Todd Pacific Shipyards | San Pedro, California | Mahlon S. Tisdale | Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate | For United States Navy. |
| 10 February | Japan | | | Setoshio | Yūshio-class submarine | For Japanese Navy. |
| 6 March | United Kingdom | Appledore Shipbuilders Ltd. | Appledore | City of Oxford | Container ship | For Ellerman Lines Ltd. |
| 9 March | United Kingdom | Brooke Marine Ltd. | Lowestoft | Arromanches | Landing craft | For British Army. |
| 20 March | Japan | Koyo Dockyard | Mihara, Japan | Harbel Tapper | Bulk carrier | |
| 21 March | United States | Newport News Shipbuilding | Newport News, Virginia | Houston | Los Angeles-class submarine | For United States Navy. |
| 21 March | United Kingdom | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Isomeria | LPG carrier | For Shell Tankers Ltd. |
| 28 March | West Germany | Blohm + Voss | Hamburg | Almirante Brown | Almirante Brown-class destroyer | For Argentine Navy. |
| 4 April | United States | Bath Iron Works | Bath, Maine | Stephen W. Groves | Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate | For United States Navy. |
| 14 April | United Kingdom | Brooke Marine Ltd. | Lowestoft | Trident | Patrol boat | For Barbados Defence Force. |
| 17 April | Poland | Stocznia Szczecinska im Adolfa Warskiego Warskiego | Szczecin | Konstantin Simonov | Dmitriy Shostakovich-class ferry | For Baltic Sea Shipping Company. |
| 25 April | United States | Electric Boat | Groton, Connecticut | City of Corpus Christi | Los Angeles-class submarine | For United States Navy. |
| 25 April | United States | Ingalls Shipbuilding | Pascagoula, Mississippi | Ticonderoga | Ticonderoga-class cruiser | For United States Navy. |
| 30 April | Soviet Union | Werft 340 | Selenodolsk | SKR-35 | Koni-class frigate | For Soviet Navy. |
| 14 May | Denmark | Frederikshavn Vaerft | Frederikshavn | Mercandian Merchant II | Type FV 610 RoRo-ship | For Per Henriksen. |
| 16 May | Netherlands | Koninklijke Schelde Groep | Flushing | Abraham Crijnssen | Kortenaer-class frigate | For Royal Netherlands Navy. |
| 16 May | Netherlands | Koninklijke Schelde Groep | Flushing | Jan van Brakel | Kortenaer-class frigate | For Royal Netherlands Navy. |
| 19 May | United Kingdom | Brooke Marine Ltd. | Lowestoft | Antwerp | Landing craft | For British Army. |
| 19 May | Sweden | Öresundsvarvet | Landskrona | Trelleborg | Ferry | For Statens Järnvägars Färjedrift. |
| 19 May | West Germany | Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft | Kiel | Pisagua | Type 209 submarine | For Peruvian Navy. |
| 22 May | Sweden | Götaverken | Gothenburg | GV 909 | Cruiseferry | Ordered by Sessan Linjen, order cancelled before delivery |
| 22 May | West Germany | AG Weser | Bremen | St. Michaelis | Tanker | For Hamburg Süd. |
| 29 May | West Germany | Blohm + Voss | Hamburg | Köln | Bremen-class frigate | For German Navy. |
| 2 June | United Kingdom | Swan Hunter | Wallsend, England | Ark Royal | Invincible-class aircraft carrier | For Royal Navy. |
| 5 June | United Kingdom | Appledore Shipbuilders Ltd. | Appledore | Saint George | Stores carrier | For British Army. |
| 17 June | United Kingdom | Yarrow Shipbuilders | Glasgow, Scotland | Boxer | Type 22 frigate | For Royal Navy. |
| 27 June | United States | Todd Pacific Shipyards | San Pedro, California | Reid | Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate | For United States Navy. |
| 1 July | United Kingdom | | | Trafalgar | Trafalgar-class submarine | For Royal Navy. |
| 2 July | United States | Todd Pacific Shipyards | Seattle, Washington | Crommelin | Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate | For United States Navy. |
| 18 July | United States | Avondale Shipyard | Avondale, Louisiana | Willamette | Cimarron-class fleet replenishment oiler | For United States Navy. |
| 24 July | United States | Bath Iron Works | Bath, Maine | John L. Hall | Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate | For United States Navy. |
| 4 August | Japan | | | Shirayuki | Hatsuyuki-class destroyer | For Japanese Navy. |
| 22 August | Poland | Stocznia im Lenina | Gdańsk | Stena Germanica | Ferry | For Stena Line. |
| 23 August | Soviet Union | Leninsky Komsomol Shipyard | Komsomolsk-on-Amur | Chita | Kilo-class submarine | For Soviet Navy. |
| 4 September | Denmark | Frederikshavn Vaerft | Frederikshavn | Mercandian Supplier II | type FV 610 RoRo-ship | For Mercandia rederiet A/S. |
| 25 September | West Germany | Blohm + Voss | Hamburg | La Argentina | Almirante Brown-class destroyer | For Argentine Navy. |
| 10 October | France | Dubigeon-Normandie | Nantes | Scandinavia | Cruiseferry | For Scandinavian World Cruises. |
| 13 October | United States | Todd Pacific Shipyards | Seattle, Washington | Halyburton | Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate | For United States Navy. |
| 16 October | United Kingdom | Appledore Shipbuilders Ltd. | Appledore | Wimpey Seahorse | Offshore supply vessel | For Wimpey Marine Ltd. |
| 17 October | United States | Bath Iron Works | Bath, Maine | Aubrey Fitch | Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate | For United States Navy. |
| 17 October | United States | Todd Pacific Shipyards | San Pedro, California | Jarrett | Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate | For United States Navy. |
| 19 October | West Germany | Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft | Kiel | Blume | Type 209 submarine | For Peruvian Navy. |
| 31 October | United States | Newport News Shipbuilding | Newport News, Virginia | Norfolk | Los Angeles-class submarine | For United States Navy. |
| 14 November | United States | Electric Boat | Groton, Connecticut | Florida | Ohio-class submarine | For United States Navy. |
| 17 November | France | | | Jean de Vienne | Georges Leygues-class frigate | For French Navy. |
| 26 November | Finland | Wärtsilä Helsinki Shipyard | Helsinki | Song of America | Cruise ship | For Royal Caribbean International. |
| 5 December | West Germany | AG Weser Seebeckswerft | Bremerhaven | Olau Britannia | Cruiseferry | For Olau Line. |
| 22 December | Denmark | Frederikshavn Vaerft | Frederikshavn | Mercandian Importer III | Type FV 610 RoRo-ship | For Per Henriksen. |
| 24 December | Soviet Union | Werft 340 | Selenodolsk | SKR 481 | Koni-class frigate | For Soviet Navy. |
| Date unknown | United Kingdom | David Abels Boatbuilders Ltd. | Bristol | Fashion of Bristol | Ferry | For private owner. |
| Date unknown | United Kingdom | David Abels Boatbuilders Ltd. | Bristol | Jacqueline D | Passenger launch | For private owner. |
| Date unknown | United Kingdom | David Abels Boatbuilders Ltd. | Bristol | Maria Mcloughlin | Tug | For John McLoughlin & Son (Shipping) Ltd. |
| Date unknown | United Kingdom | David Abels Boatbuilders Ltd. | Bristol | Sarah Mcloughlin | Tug | For John McLoughlin & Son (Shipping) Ltd. |
| Date unknown | United Kingdom | David Abels Boatbuilders Ltd. | Bristol | Steel Princess | Fishing vessel | For private owner. |