Ammunition Ship (AE Class) — Asbestos in Navy Underway Replenishment Vessels

US Navy ammunition ships (AE class) — purpose-built underway replenishment vessels designed to transfer ordnance to fleet combatants at sea — provided the combat logistics support that sustained fleet operations in the Pacific and Atlantic throughout the Cold War. Major AE class vessels include the Suribachi class (AE-21 through AE-25), the Nitro class (AE-23), and the Kilauea class (AE-26 through AE-35). AE class ships operated in Combat Logistics Force (CLF) formations with oilers and stores ships, providing the ordnance transfer capacity that allowed carrier battle groups to sustain extended combat operations without returning to port. Kilauea class ammunition ships were armed with a helicopter for vertical replenishment (VERTREP) in addition to conventional alongside transfer rigs. AE class ships used steam propulsion systems with asbestos insulation throughout their engineering plants, and the ammunition magazines aboard AE class vessels incorporated asbestos-containing insulation and construction consistent with Navy magazine construction specifications for ordnance fire protection.

Steam Plant Engineering and Asbestos

AE class ammunition ship steam plants incorporated asbestos insulation:

• Steam boiler insulation in AE class propulsion systems — AE class ammunition ships used steam turbine propulsion with Babcock & Wilcox or Combustion Engineering boilers insulated with asbestos block on boiler casings and asbestos pipe covering on steam distribution lines throughout the engineering spaces. Boiler Tender ratings maintaining the steam plants accumulated asbestos exposure from the installed boiler and steam system insulation throughout AE class service
• Turbine room steam piping systems — the steam turbines driving AE class propulsion were served by steam distribution piping with asbestos pipe covering and asbestos gasket materials in steam line flange connections throughout the turbine rooms

Ammunition Magazine Construction and Asbestos

AE class magazine spaces incorporated asbestos fire protection:

• Ordnance magazine construction — the ammunition magazines aboard AE class vessels were constructed with asbestos-containing insulation on magazine bulkheads and overhead surfaces as required by Navy magazine construction specifications for spaces housing explosive ordnance. Aviation Ordnancemen and Boatswain’s Mates handling ordnance in AE class magazines accumulated asbestos exposure from the magazine construction during underway replenishment loading and offloading operations

Underway Replenishment Operations and Asbestos

AE class service patterns created sustained asbestos exposure:

• Pacific and Atlantic underway replenishment operations — AE class ammunition ships conducted continuous underway replenishment operations supporting carrier battle groups and surface action groups throughout the Cold War, with crew members maintaining the steam propulsion systems and working in the asbestos-containing magazine spaces throughout extended deployed periods

VA Claims for AE Class Veterans

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure aboard Navy auxiliary vessels. Engineering ratings and ordnance handling personnel who served aboard ammunition ships and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may qualify for VA disability benefits.

Source notes: equipment-manifest entries (where shown) are sourced from public-record BUSHIPS (Bureau of Ships) documentation, NARA archives, and the public asbestos litigation record. Manufacturer attributions link to documented asbestos-product histories on AsbestosIndex.com where available. Nothing on this page constitutes medical or legal advice.