USS Downes (FF-1070), a Knox class ocean escort frigate, was commissioned at Avondale Shipyard in August 1970 and served in the Pacific Fleet as an ASW escort. Downes conducted multiple Western Pacific deployments, operating as carrier battle group escort and providing ASW coverage. Downes’ conventional steam propulsion plant — two Babcock & Wilcox boilers and one Westinghouse geared turbine driving a single controllable pitch propeller — provided propulsion through her service. Commissioned in 1970 using the Knox class steam propulsion plant during the peak period of that class’s commissioning, Downes incorporated asbestos-containing boiler insulation, steam pipe insulation, turbine insulation, and hull construction materials consistent with the Knox class construction specifications of the early 1970s.

USS Downes Steam Plant Asbestos

Downes’ two-boiler steam plant incorporated asbestos throughout:

  • Babcock & Wilcox boiler insulation — Downes’ two Babcock & Wilcox boilers were insulated with asbestos-containing boiler casing insulation and steam drum insulation consistent with early 1970s naval construction specifications. Boilermen working in Downes’ fireroom accumulated asbestos exposure from the boiler insulation through her Pacific Fleet service
  • High-pressure steam main pipe insulation — the steam mains throughout Downes’ engineering spaces incorporated asbestos-containing pipe insulation consistent with Knox class construction specifications. Engineering ratings encountered steam main insulation during normal operations and maintenance
  • Westinghouse propulsion turbine insulation — Downes’ Westinghouse geared main propulsion turbine incorporated asbestos-containing turbine casing insulation. Machinist’s Mates performing turbine maintenance worked in proximity to asbestos-containing turbine insulation

VA Claims for USS Downes Veterans

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure from Navy frigate steam plant service. Machinist’s Mates, Boilermen, and crew members who served aboard USS Downes 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 Downes

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.