The Roanoke class consisted of two replenishment oilers (AOR-7 USS Roanoke and AOR-8 USS Kansas City) commissioned in 1976 and 1977 at Ingalls Shipbuilding. The Roanoke class provided underway replenishment of fuel oil, aviation fuel, and limited dry stores to carrier battle group combatants during extended at-sea operations. These ships used steam turbine propulsion with asbestos-containing engineering plant insulation in the mid-1970s construction period when the Navy’s asbestos phase-down was underway but not yet complete in ship engineering specifications.

Steam Plant Asbestos

Roanoke-class ships used steam turbine propulsion with asbestos-containing insulation:

  • Boiler plant — the boilers aboard Roanoke-class ships used asbestos-containing boiler lagging and asbestos refractory materials in the mid-1970s construction specifications, during the transitional period when the Navy’s asbestos phase-down was progressing but not yet complete in boiler construction specifications. BT ratings maintained the Roanoke-class boiler plant in the engineering spaces
  • Main steam piping — the main steam system piping in the Roanoke-class engineering plant used asbestos-containing pipe covering on hot steam lines in the mid-1970s construction consistent with the late asbestos phase of Navy ship construction specifications
  • Cargo pumping systems — the fuel oil and aviation fuel transfer pumps serving the Roanoke-class cargo replenishment mission used steam-driven cargo pumps with asbestos-containing gasket materials in the engineering maintenance cycle

VA Claims for Roanoke-Class Veterans

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure aboard Navy logistics force ships. Engineering ratings who served aboard Roanoke-class replenishment ships 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 Roanoke-Class AOR Ships

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.