The Austin class amphibious transport docks — 12 hulls (LPD-4 through LPD-15) built between 1963 and 1971 at New York Naval Shipyard, Lockheed Shipbuilding (Seattle), and Ingalls Shipbuilding — were the primary LPD type in the Cold War amphibious force. Designed to transport, land, and support a Marine battalion landing team using landing craft and helicopters, Austin class ships combined a well deck for LCAC and LCM landing craft with a helicopter deck and a troop berthing capacity of approximately 840 Marines. Their steam turbine propulsion plants required asbestos insulation throughout the engineering spaces, and the extensive interior construction for embarked Marine forces included asbestos-containing materials throughout the mid-1960s era hull.

Steam Plant and Asbestos

Austin class LPDs used steam turbine propulsion generating 24,000 shaft horsepower from two turbine plants:

  • Steam boilers with asbestos block, sectional covering, and cement insulation on boiler casings, steam drums, and superheater sections
  • Steam turbine sets with asbestos block insulation on turbine casings and high-temperature exhaust connections
  • Main steam and auxiliary piping throughout the engineering spaces covered with asbestos block lagging
  • Auxiliary steam systems serving hotel loads for crew and embarked Marines using asbestos-insulated pipe distribution

Marine Troop Berthing and Interior Construction

Austin class ships were built in the mid-1960s with asbestos-containing materials throughout their interior for the berthing and operational spaces housing embarked Marine forces:

  • Marine troop berthing on multiple decks using asbestos floor tile, overhead lagging, and bulkhead insulation in troop berthing compartments
  • Well deck and vehicle spaces with asbestos-containing overhead construction above the well deck and vehicle storage areas
  • Landing craft maintenance spaces adjacent to the well deck with asbestos-containing overhead fireproofing

Named Austin Class Hulls

Austin class ships include USS Austin (LPD-4), USS Ogden (LPD-5), USS Duluth (LPD-6), USS Cleveland (LPD-7), USS Dubuque (LPD-8), USS Denver (LPD-9), USS Juneau (LPD-10), USS Coronado (LPD-11), USS Shreveport (LPD-12), USS Nashville (LPD-13), USS Trenton (LPD-14), and USS Ponce (LPD-15).

VA Claims for Austin Class Veterans

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure aboard Navy amphibious vessels. Navy sailors and Marine veterans who served aboard Austin class LPDs and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may qualify for VA disability benefits. DD-214 records identifying an LPD hull number as a duty station document the qualifying assignment.

Product & Manufacturer Reference

The asbestos-containing products documented on U.S. Navy vessels and at shipyards are catalogued by manufacturer on AsbestosIndex. These records cross-reference which companies supplied which materials and to which facilities.

Pipe Covering & Block Insulation Thermal insulation applied to steam lines, valves, and equipment in engine rooms and fire rooms Marine Products Insulation, gaskets, and packing products specified for naval and commercial marine applications Boilers & Steam Equipment Boiler manufacturers and insulation products — central to the fire room exposure pathway Gaskets & Packing Sheet and ring gaskets used throughout piping flanges, valve bonnets, and pump housings Electrical Products Wire insulation, switchgear arc chutes, and panel liners used throughout electrical spaces Full Product Index Search all 200+ manufacturers and 1,500+ documented asbestos products on AsbestosIndex™

Navy Ratings Most Exposed to Asbestos Aboard Austin Class

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the public asbestos litigation record document that the following Navy ratings worked routinely in spaces where ACM was installed, maintained, ripped out, and replaced:

VA Presumptive Benefits — No Filing Deadline

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, and pleural disease as conditions presumed to be service-connected for Navy veterans with documented asbestos exposure under 38 CFR § 3.309(d). No statute of limitations applies to VA disability compensation claims.

Available benefits may include monthly disability compensation, Dependency & Indemnity Compensation (DIC) for surviving spouses, priority VA healthcare enrollment, and Special Monthly Compensation for severe cases. Parallel claims against the asbestos bankruptcy trust funds established by the manufacturers of these products do not reduce VA compensation.

How to file a VA disability claim: VA claims are filed directly with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs — not with a law firm. Start at VA.gov › Hazardous Materials Exposure, call 1‑800‑827‑1000, or get free help filing from a Veterans Service Organization: DAV, VFW, or American Legion.

VA Claims Guide on This Site › Compare: VA vs. Civil Lawsuit

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.