USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) — Asbestos in the Fifth Nimitz Class Carrier

USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72), the fifth ship of the Nimitz class nuclear aircraft carrier class, was built by Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport News, Virginia and commissioned on November 11, 1989. Abraham Lincoln is remembered in popular culture for the 2003 “Mission Accomplished” speech delivered on her flight deck following the initial phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Like all Nimitz class carriers, Abraham Lincoln is powered by two Westinghouse A4W pressurized water reactors driving four shafts through steam turbines. Built in the late 1980s during the final phases of asbestos phase-out in naval vessel construction, USS Abraham Lincoln was commissioned at a point when asbestos use in new naval construction had been significantly reduced from Cold War-era levels. The specific extent of asbestos-containing materials in Abraham Lincoln’s 1989 construction reflects the late transitional phase of naval construction specifications, with engineering space steam system insulation potentially incorporating asbestos-containing materials in some applications consistent with the construction standards in effect at the time of her building.

Abraham Lincoln Steam Plant Asbestos

CVN-72 may incorporate asbestos-containing materials in steam system construction:

• Secondary steam system pipe insulation — the secondary steam loop piping aboard Abraham Lincoln carrying high-pressure steam from the nuclear steam generators to the main propulsion turbines and ship’s service turbine generators incorporated pipe insulation materials consistent with the late 1980s steam plant construction specifications. Engineering ratings working in Abraham Lincoln’s engine rooms accumulated background asbestos exposure from any asbestos-containing steam system insulation present in the propulsion plant
• Steam plant valve and fitting insulation — the steam valves, fittings, and distribution equipment in the Abraham Lincoln propulsion plant incorporated insulation materials consistent with the steam plant equipment manufacturing specifications at the time of her construction. Machinist’s Mates maintaining steam plant systems in Abraham Lincoln’s machinery rooms worked in proximity to the plant’s insulation materials during maintenance operations

Abraham Lincoln Interior Construction

CVN-72’s 1989 construction used late-transitional construction specifications:

• Engineering machinery room and pump room construction — the engineering machinery rooms and pump rooms aboard Abraham Lincoln were constructed within the carrier hull using construction materials consistent with the late 1980s construction specifications. The extent of asbestos-containing materials in the engineering space construction reflects the state of naval construction standards at the time of her building. Engineering ratings working in Abraham Lincoln’s below-decks engineering spaces accumulated background asbestos exposure from any asbestos-containing materials present in the engineering space construction
• Below-decks crew space construction — the crew berthing, mess decks, and working spaces throughout the Abraham Lincoln hull were constructed using late 1980s naval construction materials. Crew members serving aboard Abraham Lincoln during deployments accumulated background asbestos exposure from any asbestos-containing materials incorporated in the carrier’s hull construction

VA Claims for USS Abraham Lincoln Veterans

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure aboard Navy nuclear aircraft carriers. Officers and crew members who served aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) 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.