The Oliver Hazard Perry class (FFG-7) guided missile frigates were the most numerous surface combatant class in the Cold War Navy, with 51 ships built between 1975 and 1989 at Bath Iron Works (Bath, Maine), Todd Shipyards (Seattle and San Pedro), and other yards. The Perry class served as the Navy’s primary convoy escort and patrol frigate, deploying extensively worldwide throughout the 1980s and 1990s. The class’s long construction period — spanning the Navy’s mid-1980s asbestos phase-down — created significant variation in asbestos content between early and late hulls.

Gas Turbine Plant and Asbestos

Perry class frigates used the LM2500 gas turbine engine for propulsion, with propulsion machinery concentrated in a single machinery space:

  • Gas turbine exhaust uptakes — the hot exhaust ducting from the two LM2500 gas turbine engines included thermal insulation on exhaust uptake casings and exhaust system components, with asbestos-containing insulation present in early hulls built before the mid-1980s phase-down
  • Auxiliary boiler — Perry class frigates carried an auxiliary boiler for hotel services and emergency propulsion, with asbestos-insulated steam piping in the auxiliary boiler circuit serving steam heating and ship’s service systems
  • Ship’s service steam distribution — auxiliary steam piping running from the auxiliary boiler to steam-heated equipment throughout the ship used asbestos pipe covering in early hulls, maintained by Boiler Technicians and Machinists Mates assigned to the engineering department

Auxiliary Steam and Heating Systems

The Perry class auxiliary steam system served laundry, galley, and HVAC heating loads throughout the ship:

  • Steam-heated HVAC coils throughout crew berthing and working spaces with asbestos-insulated steam supply piping to heating coils
  • Galley steam equipment — steam-powered cooking and dishwashing equipment connected to the auxiliary steam system with asbestos-insulated piping at connections and at valve bodies
  • Fuel oil heating system — steam-heated fuel oil heaters and associated piping used asbestos insulation in early construction

Construction Period and Asbestos Phase-Down

The Perry class construction period of 1975-1989 spans the critical transition:

  • Early hulls (FFG-7 through approximately FFG-40), commissioned 1977-1984, were built during the period of full asbestos use in naval construction and contain asbestos insulation in gas turbine exhaust systems and auxiliary steam components
  • Later hulls (approximately FFG-41 through FFG-61), commissioned 1984-1989, were built during the Navy’s systematic phase-down of asbestos from new construction specifications; these hulls have significantly reduced asbestos content
  • Veterans comparing early versus late Perry class assignments should note the higher asbestos exposure claim for hulls commissioned before 1984

VA Claims for Perry Class Veterans

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure aboard Navy surface combatants. Engineering ratings — Boiler Technicians, Machinist’s Mates, Electrician’s Mates, Hull Technicians — who served in engineering billets aboard early Oliver Hazard Perry class frigates and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may qualify for VA disability benefits.

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

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.