The Oliver Hazard Perry class (FFG-7 through FFG-61) comprised 71 frigates built between 1977 and 2004 — the largest guided missile frigate class in US Navy history. Ships of this class were built primarily at Bath Iron Works (Bath, Maine) and Todd Shipyards, with a significant number completed at Avondale Industries. The class used a single LM2500 gas turbine for main propulsion and served in surface warfare, ASW, and escort roles through the 1980s, 1990s, and into the 2000s.

Asbestos in Gas Turbine Era Construction

Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates used gas turbine propulsion rather than steam, eliminating main propulsion boiler rooms and their associated asbestos insulation. However, ships built during the 1977–1990 period — the dominant production period for this class — were constructed in an era of transitional Navy shipbuilding specifications where asbestos remained in certain applications:

  • Auxiliary boiler systems generating steam for ship’s service loads (heating, galley, laundry) retained asbestos insulation on smaller boiler and steam pipe installations in early-build hulls
  • Crew habitability spaces and berthing areas were built with flooring and overhead materials that may have included asbestos-containing tile in hulls constructed through the early 1980s
  • Electrical and signal cable runs in early-build FFGs used asbestos-containing insulation for fire resistance before non-asbestos alternatives became the standard
  • Pipe lagging and HVAC insulation in living and machinery spaces used transition-era materials that varied by construction date and shipyard specifications

Perry-Class Construction and Asbestos Documentation

Deposition testimony and work histories in publicly filed asbestos cases document service aboard Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates. The documented range of building yards — Bath, Todd Seattle, Todd Los Angeles, Todd San Pedro, and Avondale — reflects the same shipbuilding environments where asbestos exposure during construction and early service is well-established.

Early FFGs built in 1977–1982 (FFG-7 through approximately FFG-30) were constructed during a period when asbestos use in shipbuilding had not yet been fully phased out. Ships built after the mid-1980s reflected progressively more complete asbestos substitution in original construction.

VA Claims for Perry-Class Veterans

Veterans who served aboard Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates — particularly on early-build hulls completed in the late 1970s and early 1980s — and have since been diagnosed with asbestos-related illness may qualify for VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d). DD-214 records identifying an FFG-7 class frigate as a duty station document the qualifying ship 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 Oliver Hazard Perry-Class FFG

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.