Navy Electronics Technicians (ET) — the enlisted rating responsible for the operation, maintenance, and repair of radar systems, communications equipment, electronic countermeasures systems, and navigation electronics aboard surface combatants — served throughout the surface fleet during the Cold War era. ET ratings maintained the SPS-series air search and surface search radars, AN/SPS fire control radar systems, navigation radar systems, communications equipment, and electronic warfare systems aboard destroyers, cruisers, and carriers. Electronics Technicians working in radar equipment rooms, combat information center (CIC) spaces, and communications spaces accumulated background asbestos exposure from the asbestos-containing construction of the ship electronics spaces where they performed their maintenance and repair duties, and maintained electronic equipment incorporating asbestos-containing electrical insulation materials in some components of the radar and electronics systems of the WWII and early Cold War era.

Electronics Equipment Room Asbestos

ET ratings in electronics spaces accumulated background asbestos exposure:

  • Radar equipment room construction — the radar equipment rooms housing radar transmitter, receiver, and signal processing equipment aboard WWII-era and Cold War surface combatants were located within the ship’s interior construction using asbestos-containing building materials consistent with the ship’s overall construction specifications. ET ratings working in radar equipment rooms aboard vessels constructed during the WWII and Cold War era accumulated background asbestos exposure from the asbestos-insulated equipment room construction — overhead, bulkhead, and pipe insulation — throughout their shipboard electronics maintenance duties
  • Combat Information Center (CIC) construction — the CIC spaces aboard surface combatants where radar data was displayed and tactical decisions were made were constructed with asbestos-containing interior construction materials in the CIC overhead and bulkhead construction. ET ratings working in CIC spaces during both maintenance and operational watch standing accumulated background asbestos exposure from the CIC space construction
  • Communications equipment room construction — the communications equipment rooms housing HF radio transmitters, satellite communications equipment, and signal processing systems aboard surface combatants were constructed with asbestos-containing building materials in the equipment room construction. ET ratings performing communications equipment maintenance in shipboard communications spaces accumulated background asbestos exposure from the communications equipment room construction

Radar and Electronics Equipment Asbestos

ET ratings maintaining WWII and early Cold War electronics encountered component asbestos:

  • WWII-era radar transmitter high-power components — the high-power radar transmitters aboard WWII-era and early Cold War surface combatants incorporated electrical components and wiring harnesses with asbestos-containing electrical insulation materials consistent with mid-twentieth century electronics manufacturing. ET ratings performing maintenance and repair on WWII-era and early Cold War radar transmitters encountered asbestos-containing electrical insulation materials in the high-power transmitter tube assemblies and associated wiring during transmitter maintenance operations
  • Waveguide and transmission line thermal insulation — high-power radar waveguide and coaxial transmission line systems aboard Cold War surface combatants incorporated asbestos-containing thermal insulation on some waveguide run segments. ET ratings maintaining radar waveguide systems encountered asbestos-containing thermal insulation materials in waveguide system runs during radar system maintenance

VA Claims for Navy Electronics Technicians

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure from Navy electronics system service. Electronics Technicians who served aboard Navy surface combatants and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may qualify for VA disability benefits.