Leahy Class Guided Missile Cruiser (CG-16) — Asbestos in the Cold War's Terrier Cruiser Class

The Leahy class guided missile cruisers — nine ships commissioned between 1962 and 1964, originally designated DLG-16 through DLG-24 and redesignated CG-16 through CG-24 in 1975 — were the US Navy’s primary double-end Terrier guided missile cruiser class, carrying Terrier surface-to-air missile systems at both ends of the ship for all-around anti-air warfare coverage. The Leahy class used four Babcock & Wilcox high-pressure boilers generating steam for two sets of turbines producing 85,000 shaft horsepower on two shafts. The ships served as carrier battle group escort cruisers throughout the Cold War, providing anti-air warfare protection for carrier battle groups in the Atlantic and Pacific fleets. The four-boiler steam propulsion plant throughout the Leahy class was insulated with asbestos-containing materials consistent with early 1960s naval construction, with Boiler Tenders and Machinist’s Mates maintaining the asbestos-insulated steam plant through the class’s Cold War escort service.

Leahy Class Four-Boiler Steam Plant Asbestos

The Leahy class steam plant incorporated Cold War-era asbestos insulation:

• Babcock & Wilcox boiler casing insulation — the four high-pressure boilers in Leahy class boiler rooms were insulated with asbestos block insulation on boiler casing exterior surfaces and asbestos pipe covering on boiler steam connections. Boiler Tenders maintaining the boilers during Cold War carrier battle group escort operations worked in proximity to the asbestos boiler casing insulation throughout each engineering watch rotation in the Leahy class boiler rooms
• Main turbine and steam system insulation — Leahy class main turbines and main steam piping were insulated with asbestos block and pipe covering throughout the engineering spaces. Machinist’s Mates tending the turbines worked in the asbestos-insulated engineering spaces during propulsion plant watch standing

Double-End Terrier System and Weapons Space Asbestos

Leahy class Terrier missile systems incorporated asbestos in weapons spaces:

• Terrier missile magazine and launcher space construction — the Terrier missile magazines at both ends of the Leahy class hull and the associated twin-arm launcher spaces were constructed within the ship’s interior using asbestos-containing construction materials consistent with the ship’s early 1960s construction specifications. Gunner’s Mates and weapons system personnel working in Terrier missile magazine and launcher spaces accumulated background asbestos exposure from the magazine space construction
• Terrier fire control electronics insulation — the Terrier fire control radar and weapons system electronics aboard Leahy class cruisers incorporated electrical wiring and component insulation materials consistent with early 1960s electronics manufacturing. Electronics Technicians and Gunner’s Mates maintaining Terrier fire control electronics encountered electrical insulation materials in the weapons system electronics during maintenance operations

VA Claims for Leahy Class Veterans

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure aboard Navy cruisers. Boiler Tenders, Machinist’s Mates, and crew members who served aboard Leahy class guided missile cruisers 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.