The Spruance class (DD-963 through DD-997) comprised 31 destroyers all built at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi between 1975 and 1983. The class introduced gas turbine propulsion to the US Navy’s destroyer fleet — four General Electric LM2500 gas turbines in a combined COGAG arrangement replaced the steam turbines of previous destroyer generations. This design change fundamentally altered the asbestos exposure pattern compared to steam-driven predecessors, but did not eliminate asbestos from the ship’s systems.

Gas Turbine Propulsion and Asbestos

Spruance-class destroyers used gas turbines rather than steam boilers for main propulsion, eliminating the extensive boiler room asbestos insulation characteristic of steam destroyer classes. However, the ships carried asbestos in other systems installed during the 1975–1983 construction period:

  • Auxiliary boilers generating steam for ship’s service heating, galley, and laundry loads retained asbestos insulation on the smaller boiler and associated steam distribution piping
  • Exhaust gas systems from gas turbines used high-temperature insulation that may have included asbestos-containing refractory blankets or boards
  • Crew spaces and habitability systems built to mid-1970s construction standards used asbestos-containing deck tile, overhead lagging, and insulation materials in the areas where these products remained in standard use
  • Electrical insulation and cable runs in the ship’s electrical systems used asbestos-containing materials for fire resistance in the earlier portion of the class’s construction

Asbestos in Combat Systems and Hull Construction

Spruance-class destroyers were designed and built in the transitional era when Navy shipbuilding specifications were beginning to phase out asbestos but had not yet eliminated it from all applications. Early-build hulls and systems completed in the mid-1970s may have incorporated more asbestos-containing materials than later-build ships as specifications were updated. Asbestos pipe fitting compound, deck underlayment, and HVAC insulation appeared in contemporaneous commercial and naval construction throughout the late 1970s.

Engineering and Systems Personnel

Machinist’s Mates (MM) and Gas Turbine Systems Technicians (GSM/GSE) who maintained propulsion machinery aboard Spruance-class destroyers worked in spaces where legacy asbestos installation remained from initial construction. Damage Controlmen (DC) and hull technicians who conducted shipboard maintenance encountered asbestos-containing materials in deck tile removal and pipe penetration sealing work throughout the asbestos use period.

Spruance-class ships documented in asbestos records include USS Spruance (DD-963), USS Kinkaid (DD-965), USS Paul F. Foster (DD-964), USS Briscoe (DD-977), and others built across the production run at Ingalls Shipbuilding.

VA Claims for Spruance-Class Veterans

Veterans who served aboard Spruance-class destroyers during the initial service period — particularly on early-build hulls completed in the mid-1970s — 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 a Spruance-class destroyer (DD-963 through DD-997) 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 Spruance-Class DD

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.