# List of ship launches in 1997

The list of ship launches in 1997 includes a chronological list of all ships launched in 1997.
| Date | Country | Builder | Location | Ship | Class / type | Notes |
| 3 January | Denmark | Odense Staalskibsvaerft | Lindø | Katrine Mærsk | K-class container ship | For Mærsk Line |
| 18 January | United States | Ingalls Shipbuilding | Pascagoula, Mississippi | McFaul | Arleigh Burke-class destroyer | |
| 28 February | United States | National Steel and Shipbuilding Company | San Diego, California | Sisler | Watson-class vehicle cargo ship | |
| February | Netherlands | Koninklijke Schelde Groep | Flushing | Rotterdam | Rotterdam-class amphibious transport dock | |
| 6 March | United Kingdom | Appledore Shipbuilders Ltd. | Appledore | City of Cardiff | Dredger | For United Marine Dredging Ltd. |
| 14 March | United States | Ingalls Shipbuilding | Pascagoula, Mississippi | Bonhomme Richard | Wasp-class amphibious assault ship | |
| 26 March | Finland | Kvaerner Masa-Yards | Turku | Superfast III | ROPAX ferry | For Superfast Ferries |
| 27 March | United States | Avondale Shipyard | Avondale, Louisiana | Bob Hope | Bob Hope-class vehicle cargo ship | |
| March | Italy | Fincantieri | Genoa | SuperSeaCat Two | MDV1200-class monofull fast ferry | For Sea Containers |
| 4 April | Denmark | Odense Staalskibsvaerft | Lindø | Kirsten Mærsk | K-class container ship | For Mærsk Line |
| 6 April | United Kingdom | Appledore Shipbuilders Ltd. | Appledore | Betagas | LNG tanker | For Betagas Partenreederei. |
| 17 April | Italy | Fincantieri | Marghera | Disney Magic | cruise ship | For Disney Cruise Lines |
| 24 April | Finland | Kvaerner Masa-Yards | Turku | Superfast IV | ROPAX ferry | For Superfast Ferries |
| April | Taiwan | China Shipbuilding | Kaohsiung | Chang Chien | Cheng Kung-class frigate | |
| 3 May | United States | Bath Iron Works | Bath, Maine | Donald Cook | Arleigh Burke-class destroyer | |
| 3 May | Netherlands | Van der Giessen de Noord | Krimpen aan den IJssel | Schleswig-Holstein | train ferry | For Scandlines |
| 10 May | Australia | Tenix Defence | Williamstown, Victoria | Te Mana | Anzac-class frigate | For Royal New Zealand Navy |
| 20 May | China | Shanghai Shipyard & Chengxi Shipyard Company | Shanghai | Amber Lagoon | Amber Lagoon-class freight ship | For MACS Maritime Carrier Shipping |
| 7 June | South Korea | Daewoo Heavy Industries | Okpo | Peene Ore | bulk carrier | |
| 8 June | France | | | Aconit | La Fayette-class frigate | |
| 1 July | Netherlands | Van der Giessen de Noord | Krimpen aan den IJssel | Deutschland | train ferry | For Scandlines |
| 5 July | United Kingdom | Appledore Shipbuilders Ltd. | Appledore | City of Chichester | Dredger | For United Marine Dredging Ltd. |
| 11 July | Germany | Meyer Werft | Papenburg | Mercury | cruise ship | For Celebrity Cruises |
| 26 July | United States | National Steel and Shipbuilding Company | San Diego, California | Watson | Watson-class vehicle cargo ship | |
| 31 July | Denmark | Odense Staalskibsvaerft | Lindø | Sovereign Mærsk | S-class container ship | For Mærsk Line |
| 9 August | Spain | Astilleros Españoles | Puerto Real | Skåne | ro-ro/train ferry | For SweFerry Ab |
| 19 August | Japan | | | Yūdachi | Murasame-class destroyer | |
| 21 August | Japan | | | Kirisame | Murasame-class destroyer | |
| 28 August | South Korea | Hyundai Mipo Dockyard | Ulsan | Petrojarl Banff | FSPO | |
| 1 September | United States | Electric Boat | Groton, Connecticut | Connecticut | Seawolf-class submarine | |
| 1 September | France | Chantiers de l’Atlantique | Saint Nazaire | Vision of the Seas | Vision-class cruise ship | For Royal Caribbean International |
| 18 September | Japan | | | Michishio | Oyashio-class submarine | |
| 27 September | Germany | Volkswerft | Stralsund | Neuwerk | multi-purpose vessel | For Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure |
| 27 September | South Korea | Samsung Shipbuilding & Heavy Industries | Koje | Shanghai Express | London Express-class container ship | For Hapag-Lloyd |
| 29 September | Germany | Abeking & Rasmussen | | Fulda | Frankenthal-class minehunter | For German Navy |
| 2 October | United States | National Steel and Shipbuilding Company | San Diego, California | Dahl | Watson-class vehicle cargo ship | |
| 4 October | United States | Bath Iron Works | Bath, Maine | Higgins | Arleigh Burke-class destroyer | |
| 21 October | United States | Avondale Shipyard | Avondale, Louisiana | Fisher | Bob Hope-class vehicle cargo ship | |
| 21 October | China | Shanghai Shipyard & Chengxi Shipyard Company | Shanghai | Purple Beach | Amber Lagoon-class freight ship | For MACS Maritime Carrier Shipping |
| 24 October | Denmark | Odense Staalskibsvaerft | Lindø | Susan Mærsk | S-class container ship | For Mærsk Line |
| October | China | Dalian Shipyard | Dalian | Shenzhen | Type 051B destroyer | |
| 12 November | United States | Ingalls Shipbuilding | Pascagoula, Mississippi | Porter | Arleigh Burke-class destroyer | |
| 15 November | United States | Avondale Shipyard | Westwego, Louisiana | Healy | Polar icebreaker | |
| 29 November | South Korea | Samsung Shipbuilding & Heavy Industries | Koje | Düsseldorf Express | London Express-class container ship | For Hapag-Lloyd |
| November | United Kingdom | Appledore Shipbuilders Ltd. | Appledore | Lesley PG | tanker | For Giles W.Pritchard-Gordon & Co. Ltd. |
| Date unknown | United Kingdom | David Abels Boatbuilders Ltd. | Bristol | Faoilean | Workboat | For private owner. |
| Date unknown | United Kingdom | David Abels Boatbuilders Ltd. | Bristol | Ferryman | Launch | For private owner. |
| Date unknown | Singapore | | Singapore | Kota Wajar | container ship | |
| Date unknown | United Kingdom | David Abels Boatbuilders Ltd. | Bristol | MCS Lenie | Tug | For Maritime Craft Services (Clyde) Ltd. |
| Date unknown | United Kingdom | David Abels Boatbuilders Ltd. | Bristol | Scenic II | Passenger launch | For Pulteney Cruises Ltd. |
| Date unknown | United Kingdom | David Abels Boatbuilders Ltd. | Bristol | Taunt | Ferry | For private owner. |
| Date unknown | United Kingdom | David Abels Boatbuilders Ltd. | Bristol | Warbler | Ferry | For private owner. |