The list of ship commissionings in 1971 includes a chronological list of all ships commissioned in 1971.
| Operator | Ship | Flag | Class and type | Pennant | Other notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 January |  United States Navy
|
Bluefish | Sturgeon-class submarine | SSN-675 | ||
| 19 January |  Royal Australian Navy
|
Torrens | River-class destroyer escort | DE 53 | ||
| 12 March | United States Navy
|
Billfish | Sturgeon-class submarine | SSN-676 | ||
| 24 April | United States Navy
|
Joseph Hewes | Knox-class frigate | FF-1078 | ||
| 22 May | United States Navy
|
Bowen | Knox-class frigate | FF-1079 | ||
| 3 June | Sessan Linjen | Prinsessan Desirée |  Sweden
|
Ferry | ||
| 8 July | Royal Caribbean Cruise Line | Nordic Prince |  Norway
|
Song of Norway-class cruise ship | ||
| 23 July | United States Navy
|
Fanning | Knox-class frigate | FF-1076 | ||
| 11 September | United States Navy
|
Pintado | Sturgeon-class submarine | SSN-672 | ||
| December |  People's Liberation Army Navy
|
Jinan | Type 051 destroyer | 105 | date of initial operational capability | |
| 17 December | United States Navy
|
Archerfish | Sturgeon-class submarine | SSN-678 | ||
| 31 December |  Soviet Navy
|
Bodryy | Project 1135 large anti-submarine ship | 503 |