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 | Odense Staalskibsvaerft | Lindø | Katrine Mærsk | K-class container ship | For Mærsk Line | |
| 18 January | Ingalls Shipbuilding | Pascagoula, Mississippi | McFaul | Arleigh Burke-class destroyer | ||
| 28 February | National Steel and Shipbuilding Company | San Diego, California | Sisler | Watson-class vehicle cargo ship | ||
| February | Koninklijke Schelde Groep | Flushing | Rotterdam | Rotterdam-class amphibious transport dock | ||
| 14 March | Ingalls Shipbuilding | Pascagoula, Mississippi | Bonhomme Richard | Wasp-class amphibious assault ship | ||
| 26 March | Kvaerner Masa-Yards | Turku | Superfast III | ROPAX ferry | For Superfast Ferries | |
| 27 March | Avondale Shipyard | Avondale, Louisiana | Bob Hope | Bob Hope-class vehicle cargo ship | ||
| March | Fincantieri | Genoa | SuperSeaCat Two | MDV1200-class monofull fast ferry | For Sea Containers | |
| 4 April | Odense Staalskibsvaerft | Lindø | Kirsten Mærsk | K-class container ship | For Mærsk Line | |
| 17 April | Fincantieri | Marghera | Disney Magic | cruise ship | For Disney Cruise Lines [1] | |
| 24 April | Kvaerner Masa-Yards | Turku | Superfast IV | ROPAX ferry | For Superfast Ferries | |
| April | China Shipbuilding | Kaohsiung | Chang Chien | Cheng Kung-class frigate | ||
| 3 May | Bath Iron Works | Bath, Maine | Donald Cook | Arleigh Burke-class destroyer | ||
| 3 May | Van der Giessen de Noord | Krimpen aan den IJssel | Schleswig-Holstein | train ferry | For Scandlines | |
| 10 May | Tenix Defence | Williamstown, Victoria | Te Mana | Anzac-class frigate | For Royal New Zealand Navy | |
| 20 May | Shanghai Shipyard & Chengxi Shipyard Company | Shanghai | Amber Lagoon | Amber Lagoon-class freight ship | For MACS Maritime Carrier Shipping [2] | |
| 7 June | Daewoo Heavy Industries | Okpo | Peene Ore | bulk carrier | [3] | |
| 8 June | Aconit | La Fayette-class frigate | ||||
| 1 July | Van der Giessen de Noord | Krimpen aan den IJssel | Deutschland | train ferry | For Scandlines | |
| 11 July | Meyer Werft | Papenburg | Mercury | cruise ship | For Celebrity Cruises | |
| 26 July | National Steel and Shipbuilding Company | San Diego, California | Watson | Watson-class vehicle cargo ship | ||
| 31 July | Odense Staalskibsvaerft | Lindø | Sovereign Mærsk | S-class container ship | For Mærsk Line | |
| 9 August | Astilleros Españoles | Puerto Real | Skåne | ro-ro/train ferry | For SweFerry Ab [4] | |
| 19 August | Yūdachi | Murasame-class destroyer | ||||
| 21 August | Kirisame | Murasame-class destroyer | ||||
| 28 August | Hyundai Mipo Dockyard | Ulsan | Petrojarl Banff | FSPO | [5] | |
| 1 September | Electric Boat | Groton, Connecticut | Connecticut | Seawolf-class submarine | ||
| 1 September | Chantiers de l’Atlantique | Saint Nazaire | Vision of the Seas | Vision-class cruise ship | For Royal Caribbean International | |
| 18 September | Michishio | Oyashio-class submarine | ||||
| 27 September | Volkswerft | Stralsund | Neuwerk | multi-purpose vessel | For Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure | |
| 27 September | Samsung Shipbuilding & Heavy Industries | Koje | Shanghai Express | London Express-class container ship | For Hapag-Lloyd [6] | |
| 29 September | Abeking & Rasmussen | Fulda | Frankenthal-class minehunter | For German Navy | ||
| 2 October | National Steel and Shipbuilding Company | San Diego, California | Dahl | Watson-class vehicle cargo ship | ||
| 4 October | Bath Iron Works | Bath, Maine | Higgins | Arleigh Burke-class destroyer | ||
| 21 October | Avondale Shipyard | Avondale, Louisiana | Fisher | Bob Hope-class vehicle cargo ship | ||
| 21 October | Shanghai Shipyard & Chengxi Shipyard Company | Shanghai | Purple Beach | Amber Lagoon-class freight ship | For MACS Maritime Carrier Shipping | |
| 24 October | Odense Staalskibsvaerft | Lindø | Susan Mærsk | S-class container ship | For Mærsk Line | |
| October | Dalian Shipyard | Dalian | Shenzhen | Type 051B destroyer | ||
| 12 November | Ingalls Shipbuilding | Pascagoula, Mississippi | Porter | Arleigh Burke-class destroyer | ||
| 15 November | Avondale Shipyard | Westwego, Louisiana | Healy | Polar icebreaker | ||
| 29 November | Samsung Shipbuilding & Heavy Industries | Koje | Düsseldorf Express | London Express-class container ship | For Hapag-Lloyd [7] | |
| Date unknown | David Abels Boatbuilders Ltd. | Bristol | Faoilean | Workboat | For private owner. [8] | |
| Date unknown | David Abels Boatbuilders Ltd. | Bristol | Ferryman | Launch | For private owner. [9] | |
| Date unknown | Singapore | Kota Wajar | container ship | |||
| Date unknown | David Abels Boatbuilders Ltd. | Bristol | MCS Lenie | Tug | For Maritime Craft Services (Clyde) Ltd. [10] | |
| Date unknown | David Abels Boatbuilders Ltd. | Bristol | Scenic II | Passenger launch | For Pulteney Cruises Ltd. [11] | |
| Date unknown | David Abels Boatbuilders Ltd. | Bristol | Taunt | Ferry | For private owner. [12] | |
| Date unknown | David Abels Boatbuilders Ltd. | Bristol | Warbler | Ferry | For private owner. [13] |