Skipjack Class (SSN-585) — Asbestos in the First High-Speed US Nuclear Attack Submarines

The Skipjack class nuclear-powered attack submarines — six boats commissioned between 1959 and 1961 — combined the S5W pressurized water reactor with the revolutionary Albacore teardrop hull form, producing a nuclear attack submarine capable of sustained underwater speeds exceeding those of any previous submarine by a wide margin. The Skipjack design established the fundamental template — a single large nuclear reactor, a single propeller, a teardrop hull optimized for underwater performance — that was followed in all subsequent American nuclear attack submarines including the Permit, Sturgeon, and Los Angeles classes. Five Skipjack class boats were built at Electric Boat in Groton, Connecticut, with USS Scorpion (SSN-589) lost at sea in 1968 under circumstances that remain partially unexplained. Skipjack class submarines were constructed during 1957–1961 using nuclear submarine construction specifications incorporating asbestos-containing secondary steam system insulation and hull construction materials consistent with the early nuclear submarine construction period.

Skipjack Class Nuclear Steam System Asbestos

Skipjack class SSNs incorporated asbestos in the S5W nuclear steam system:

• Secondary steam loop pipe insulation — Skipjack class SSNs used the S5W pressurized water reactor, with the secondary steam loop carrying steam from the steam generator to the main propulsion turbine and ship’s service turbine generators. The secondary steam loop piping incorporated pipe insulation materials consistent with the late 1950s to early 1960s nuclear submarine construction specifications. Machinist’s Mates working in Skipjack class engine rooms during routine propulsion plant operations and maintenance encountered secondary steam system pipe insulation
• Main propulsion turbine steam system insulation — the steam supply systems serving the main propulsion turbine set and ship’s service turbine generators aboard Skipjack class SSNs incorporated pipe insulation and turbine connection insulation materials consistent with the construction specifications of the early nuclear submarine era
• Propulsion plant auxiliary equipment insulation — auxiliary propulsion plant equipment in Skipjack class engine rooms incorporating steam heating or process connections incorporated insulation materials consistent with the early 1960s construction specifications

Skipjack Class Hull Construction Asbestos

Skipjack class SSNs incorporated asbestos in submarine construction:

• Hull interior construction materials — the crew berthing, watch standing, and working spaces within Skipjack class SSN hulls incorporated construction materials consistent with the 1957–1961 construction specifications. The compact Skipjack hull — optimized for underwater performance rather than crew habitability — required construction materials meeting Navy submarine specifications of the period
• Electronics and sonar equipment spaces — the sonar equipment spaces, fire control equipment rooms, and electronics spaces aboard Skipjack class SSNs incorporated construction materials consistent with the early 1960s nuclear submarine construction specifications

VA Claims for Skipjack Class Veterans

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure from Navy nuclear submarine service. Officers and crew members who served aboard Skipjack class nuclear attack submarines 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.