The list of ship commissionings in 1981 includes a chronological list of all ships commissioned in 1981.
| Operator | Ship | Flag | Class and type | Pennant | Other notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 March |  Coiste an Asgard | Asgard II | Sail training brigantine | |||
| 21 March |  Royal Australian Navy | Canberra | Adelaide-class frigate | FFG 02 | ||
| 14 April |  Royal Netherlands Navy | Piet Hein | Kortenaer-class frigate | F811 | ||
| 1 August |  Islamic Republic of Iran Navy | Khanjar | Kaman-class fast attack craft | P230 | ||
| 1 August | Islamic Republic of Iran Navy | Neyzeh | Kaman-class fast attack craft | P231 | ||
| 1 August | Islamic Republic of Iran Navy | Tabarzin | Kaman-class fast attack craft | P232 | ||
| 10 October |  Hellenic Navy | Elli | Elli-class frigate | F450 | First in class | |
| 2 December | Royal Netherlands Navy | Philips van Almonde | Kortenaer-class frigate | F823 | ||
| 29 December |  Soviet Navy | TK-208 | Typhoon-class submarine | TK-208 |