Asbestos on Navy Ships: Exposure and Mesothelioma Risks
Asbestos was used extensively on Navy ships during most of the 1900s, exposing millions of military personnel to asbestos. Exposure to asbestos on Navy ships can lead to mesothelioma and other devastating illnesses decades after exposure. If you worked in a Navy shipyard or served aboard a Navy Ship and have developed an asbestos-related illness, you may be eligible to recover significant financial compensation.
- Content Reviewed by:
- Darron E. Berquist
- Page Last Updated:
- November 24, 2025
Navigate This Page
- Asbestos Exposure on Navy Ships
- The Risk of Mesothelioma After Asbestos Exposure on U.S. Navy Ships
- Ship Components that Contained Asbestos
- Locations on Navy Ships with Asbestos
- Occupations within the Navy Most at Risk
- What Types of Navy Ships Contained Asbestos?
- List of Ships that Contained Asbestos
- How Were Sailors Exposed to Asbestos on Navy Ships?
- Do Navy Ships Still Contain Asbestos Today?
- When Did the Navy Stop Using Asbestos on Ships?
- Compensation for U.S. Navy Veterans with Mesothelioma
- Veteran Mesothelioma Results: Our Settlements and Verdicts
- Contact the Lanier Law Firm Today to Start Your Mesothelioma Claim
- Related Posts
The highest risk of asbestos exposure in the Navy occurred aboard Navy ships and in shipyards. Asbestos was used heavily on Navy ships because it insulates against heat, water, and corrosion. It was used in plumbing fixtures, adhesives, industrial compounds, cabin insulation, the mechanical parts of ships, and the hull. It was common for the entire hull of Navy ships to be lined with asbestos.
The Navy used asbestos on Navy ships for decades after learning it was hazardous. During World War II, the demand for the material on Navy ships was so high that it was temporarily prohibited for civilian use so that all the asbestos in the United States could be reserved for the military, primarily the Navy.
Navy Ship Asbestos Exposure
Sailors who served below deck on Navy ships in engine rooms, boiler rooms, and areas that controlled ship propulsion faced the heaviest asbestos exposure. While asbestos exposure on Navy ships primarily affected Navy personnel, passengers, shipbuilders, and others who spent time on the ships were likely exposed, including Marines transported to their posts.
When Were Military Personnel Exposed to Asbestos on Navy Ships?
Asbestos was first used in Navy ships during the 1880s, but it became an essential shipbuilding component in the 1930s. The usage continued until the mid-1970s when the public became aware of the substance’s dangers. However, the Navy continued to use asbestos in Navy ship keels until 1983 and in machinery below deck through the 1990s.
The Navy considered asbestos an essential material due to its lightweight, fire-resistant, and insulating qualities. It was also inexpensive and widely available. The demand for asbestos peaked during World War II. The Navy built over 1,000 ships from 1938 to 1945—all heavily laced with asbestos.
The Navy’s Surgeon General issued warnings about the dangers of asbestos exposure as early as 1939 and urged the Navy to require masks and exhaust fans in areas where asbestos was used. However, these warnings went unheeded during the war and for decades afterward.
While these measures may have reduced asbestos exposure had they been implemented, we now know they would have fallen short of providing full protection from its effects. However, failure to implement even these meager measures almost certainly increased the risk of mesothelioma in military personnel.
The Risk of Mesothelioma After Asbestos Exposure on U.S. Navy Ships
The military is generally overrepresented in mesothelioma cases in the United States. Although they make up only approximately eight percent of the American population today, they account for 30 percent of Americans who die from mesothelioma each year. The overwhelming majority of these veterans are former Navy personnel who served aboard Navy vessels.
The exposure level on ships has a higher impact than in civilian workplaces, where exposure occurs during an eight-hour workday. Navy sailors were surrounded by asbestos 24/7. They walked on it, slept around it, prepared and consumed food near it, and virtually never escaped it. Most were unaware of its presence or its dangers.
According to asbestos regulations, the maximum permissible exposure level, or PEL, in any civilian workplace is 0.1 fiber per cubic centimeter during an eight-hour workday. This level is lower than the original PEL set in 1971 at ten fibers per cubic centimeter—which OSHA adjusted after realizing the true dangers of asbestos.
According to the International Journal on Environmental Research and Public Health, asbestos on Navy ships has been measured in concentrations as high as 70 fibers per cubic centimeter three meters from the source. Even at distances as far as 25 meters from the source, asbestos concentrations were as high as 46 fibers per cubic centimeter.
Ship Components that Contained Asbestos
Asbestos was used in nearly every ship component to insulate against water, fire, heat, or electricity. It was also used to strengthen and improve the performance of adhesives, coverings, and other compounds. Asbestos was commonly used in the following components:
- Bulkhead systems and panels
- Pipe coverings
- Boilers
- Cement
- Lagging
- Performed insulation on flanges and valves
- Electrical coils
- Gaskets
- Packing
- Brakes
- Plastic materials
- Vinyl asbestos tile in the decking and flooring
- Engine room machinery
- Machinery casings
- Thermal insulation
- Block insulation
- Asbestos blankets, which were 100 percent asbestos
- Amosite asbestos blocks and pipe sections
- Ventilation ducts
- Walls, particularly drywall
- Plaster
- Asbestos cement used in lagging and machinery casings
- Lagging cloth
- Electrical wiring
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Locations on Navy Ships with Asbestos
There was virtually nowhere a sailor could go on a ship where asbestos was absent.
In a letter to the Government Accountability Office, the Department of the Navy acknowledged that the list of asbestos-containing components on its ships is so extensive that “it is nearly impossible to build a Navy ship free of the mineral.”
The areas of Navy ships with the highest levels of exposure were generally located below deck in ship control areas, such as the following:
- Engine rooms
- Boiler rooms
- Blower rooms
- Distribution rooms
- Evaporator rooms
- Workshops
- Gyro stabilizer rooms
- Firerooms
- Main motor rooms
- Machinery spaces
- Propulsion rooms
- Pump rooms
- Steering gear rooms
- Thrust block rooms
- Radio rooms
These areas were generally closed, poorly ventilated rooms with machinery that contained asbestos components that required frequent maintenance, resulting in direct exposure. However, they were not the only areas where asbestos exposure on Navy ships occurred. Asbestos lurked in all areas of Navy ships, including the following:
- Living quarters
- Turrets
- Mess halls
- Galleys
- Communication stations
Occupations within the Navy Most at Risk
Shipyard workers and personnel serving aboard Navy ships were exposed to significant levels of asbestos while performing their daily duties, especially those that handled asbestos-containing materials directly. The occupations with the highest levels of exposure include the following:
- Gunner’s mates
- Electrician’s mates
- Boatswain’s mates
- Hull maintenance technicians
- Machinists
- Fire control workers
- Welders
- Pipefitters
What Types of Navy Ships Contained Asbestos?
Asbestos was used in every type of naval vessel built before the 1980s. According to the Naval History and Heritage Command, this includes the following types of ships:
- Battleships
- Carriers
- Cruisers
- Destroyers
- Frigates
- Submarines
- Guided-missile submarines
- Nuclear-powered fleet ballistic missile submarines
- Command ships
- Mine warfare
- Patrol
- Amphibious
- Auxiliary
- Surface warships
List of Ships that Contained Asbestos
According to a 1979 document prepared by the Comptroller General of the United States and addressed to Congress, several ships built and delivered after 1973 still contained asbestos insulation for machinery, equipment, and piping. Some also still used it in gaskets and pipe hanger liners. The document included the names of the ships that still used asbestos in these components after 1973.
Amphibious Assault Ships
Amphibious assault ships still harbored asbestos-containing boiler insulation on the following ships:
- Belleau Wood
- Saipan
- Peleliu
- Tarawa
Frigates
The following Frigates still used asbestos thermal insulation:
- Ainsworth
- Capodanno
- Miller
- Moinester
- Pharris
- Thomas C. Hart
- Truett
- Valdez
Guided Missile Cruiser (Nuclear Propulsion)
The following guided missile cruisers still used asbestos thermal insulation:
- California
- South Carolina
The following guided missile cruisers used asbestos-free thermal insulation but continued to use removable asbestos pads in the propulsion plant:
- Arkansas
- Mississippi
- Texas
- Virginia
Replenishment Oiler
The Navy still used asbestos thermal insulation in the Kalamazoo after 1973.
Oceanographic Research Ships
The following research ships used asbestos thermal insulation after 1973:
- Gyre
- Moana Wave
Destroyers
Asbestos was still used in the thermal insulation of the following destroyers:
- Arthur W. Radford
- Caron
- David R. Ray
- Elliot
- Hewitt
- John Young
- Kincaid
- Oldendorf
- Paul F. Foster
- Peterson
- Spruance
Combatant Missile Patrol (Hydrofoil) Ships
The Pegasus still had non-structural bulkheads constructed of asbestos-containing Marinite.
Aircraft Carriers
The following aircraft carriers still use asbestos in the catapult trough insulation:
- Eisenhower
- Nimitz
- Vinson
Nuclear Propulsion Submarines
The following aircraft carriers still use asbestos in the catapult trough insulation:
- Glenard P. Lipscomb
- Parche
- Tunny
- William H. Bates
- Vavalla
The following nuclear propulsion submarines used asbestos-containing removable pads in the propulsion plants:
- Baltimore
- Baton Rouge
- Birmingham
- Boston
- Bremerton
- Cincinnati
- Dallas
- Groton
- Indianapolis
- Jacksonville
- La Jolla
- Los Angeles
- Memphis
- New York City
- Omaha
- Philadelphia
- Phoenix
- San Francisco
- Several unnamed ships with Hull numbers 705, 706, 707, 708, 709, 710, 712, 713, 714
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How Were Sailors Exposed to Asbestos on Navy Ships?
The vibration and constant motion of ships at sea caused components to flake and crack more quickly than in stable structures on land. Ship parts susceptible to increased wear and tear included those containing asbestos. As these parts become worn or damaged, the asbestos they contain gets released into the surrounding spaces.
Saltwater may also have contributed to the release of asbestos throughout Navy ships. Although asbestos resists corrosion, it is often contained in materials like cement that corrode easily. Saltwater corrosion, coupled with ships’ vibrations, exposed virtually every sailor in every section of the ship.
Sailors who performed routine maintenance and repairs on engines and other mechanical components experienced the highest levels of asbestos exposure. Some tests have detected high asbestos concentrations involving the following tasks:
- Winch brake box cleaning – 70 fibers of asbestos dust per cubic centimeter
- Routine brake operation – 2.1 fibers per cubic centimeter
- Dry sweeping proceeding repairs – 3.4 fibers per cubic centimeter
- Welding – 5 fibers/cc
Wearable machinery parts such as pipe insulation, valve covers, and gaskets often required complete rip-outs during replacement, increasing ambient asbestos levels.
In 1982, studies of the James River Reserve Fleet found concentrations of asbestos ranging between 0.4 to 0.1 fibers per cubic centimeter, with levels three times higher in the engine rooms. These studies were likely during normal ship operations, not necessarily during repairs.
Do Navy Ships Still Contain Asbestos Today?
Testing is the only definitive way to determine if a ship contains asbestos. Some older ships are still in service, and asbestos may still be present on these ships. According to a Business Insider report, the following classes have ships built before 1980 in service:
- Ticonderoga-class cruisers – in service since 1978 with 22 active ships that often serve in combat roles
- Nimitz-class carriers – originated in 1975 and commissioned in 1980, with 10 ships still in service
- Whidbey Island-class dock landing ships – in service since 1985 and often used to transport marines
When Did the Navy Stop Using Asbestos on Ships?
While asbestos use was largely eliminated between 1975 and 1978, it was not strictly prohibited. Ships constructed until 1980—and even after 1985—possibly contain asbestos. The Navy is still permitted to use asbestos if it deems no suitable alternative is available.
Even after the Navy stopped most of its asbestos use, sailors continued to experience asbestos exposure from previously installed asbestos components that remained on the ships. Large-scale efforts to abate asbestos on Navy ships did not really begin until after 1990.
Compensation for U.S. Navy Veterans with Mesothelioma
If you or your family member has developed mesothelioma or another asbestos-related illness from asbestos exposure in the Navy, you may be eligible to recover financial compensation through various sources.
VA Claims
The Department of Veterans Affairs has acknowledged that asbestos exposure in the military can cause mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses, including lung cancer and asbestosis.
As a result, the VA provides free medical treatment without deductibles or co-pays for veterans with asbestos-related illnesses who can prove they were exposed to asbestos in the military. You may also qualify to collect monthly VA disability benefits of over $3,600 for single veterans. Your monthly compensation may be higher if you have dependents, are housebound, or require in-home care.
Mesothelioma Lawsuits
Although it is not permissible in most circumstances to sue the military for asbestos exposure during active duty, this does not eliminate your right to pursue financial compensation through a mesothelioma lawsuit. Our experienced mesothelioma lawyers can identify and hold liable the companies that manufactured and sold asbestos products to the military.
Damages you can recover in a mesothelioma lawsuit include compensation for the following:
- Your medical bills
- Your pain and suffering
- Lost wages suffered by you or a spouse who provided you with care
- Any other financial or emotional losses your diagnosis has caused
- Punitive damages in some cases
Your family may also be able to recover damages from asbestos product manufacturers in a wrongful death lawsuit after your passing.
Asbestos Trust Fund Claims
Some asbestos companies that sold products to the military have gone bankrupt. However, Section 524(g) of the U.S. Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Code requires such companies to establish asbestos trust funds. If the companies responsible for your asbestos exposure have established trust funds, you can file one or more asbestos trust fund claims.
Approximately $30 billion is still available in the asbestos trust funds, which pay damages for medical expenses, lost wages, pain, and suffering. These claims are filed directly with the respective funds without involving the court system, often resulting in a faster means of recovering compensation.
Veteran Mesothelioma Results: Our Settlements and Verdicts
We have won more than $20 billion in verdicts and settlements for our clients, including the following for Navy veterans and others who were exposed to asbestos on ships:
- $3.7 million for an 82-year-old Navy veteran
- $2.3 million for a California electrician exposed to asbestos in a naval shipyard
- $2 million for a shipyard worker who developed pleural mesothelioma
- $1.5 million for the family of a dredge boat mechanic who died of mesothelioma
Contact the Lanier Law Firm Today to Start Your Mesothelioma Claim
If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma after serving our country in the Navy, you may be entitled to recover substantial compensation.
We have been successfully standing up to asbestos product manufacturers for over 30 years, and our track record often causes these companies to think twice about going against us in court. This leverage helps us win maximum compensation for our clients. We accept cases in all 50 states.
Contact us today for a free consultation.
Darron E. Berquist specializes in asbestos exposure and product liability. He was part of the team that secured a $4.69 billion jury verdict in Ingham v. Johnson & Johnson, linking asbestos in talcum powder to ovarian cancer. Recognized by Best Lawyers for Mass Tort and Product Liability Litigation (2024-2025).
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