USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63 / CV-63) — Asbestos Aboard the Hawk

USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63 / CV-63), lead ship of the Kitty Hawk class of conventionally powered attack carriers, was commissioned in April 1961 at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and served the Navy for over 46 years until decommissioning in 2009. Kitty Hawk operated throughout the Cold War era, deploying repeatedly to the Western Pacific during the Vietnam War and participating in Cold War power projection operations, before transitioning to CV-63 designation as an all-purpose carrier. The ship was powered by eight Babcock & Wilcox boilers generating high-pressure steam for Westinghouse geared turbines producing 280,000 shaft horsepower on four propeller shafts. USS Kitty Hawk’s steam propulsion plant — eight boiler rooms, four engine rooms, and the associated steam distribution piping throughout the ship — was insulated with asbestos-containing materials in the boiler casing, turbine casing, steam piping, and engineering space overhead and bulkhead surfaces consistent with Navy ship construction specifications of the early 1960s. The ship served as home to thousands of Navy personnel across its service life, with engineering ratings performing boiler and engineering plant maintenance in the asbestos-insulated engineering spaces for the full operational period.

Boiler Plant and Steam Propulsion Asbestos

Kitty Hawk’s eight-boiler steam plant incorporated asbestos throughout:

• Babcock & Wilcox boiler casing insulation — the eight Babcock & Wilcox boilers in Kitty Hawk’s boiler rooms were insulated with asbestos block insulation on the boiler casing and asbestos cloth insulation on boiler access doors and sight-glass assemblies. Boiler Tenders maintaining the boilers during underway steaming and performing boiler maintenance during inport periods worked in direct proximity to the asbestos boiler casing insulation throughout their engineering watch rotations
• Westinghouse main turbine insulation — the Westinghouse geared steam turbines in Kitty Hawk’s engine rooms were insulated with asbestos block insulation on turbine casing and asbestos lagging on associated steam admission piping. Machinist’s Mates tending the main turbines and performing turbine maintenance operations worked in the insulated turbine spaces throughout engineering watch standing
• High-pressure steam distribution piping — the high-pressure steam distribution piping carrying boiler steam to the turbines, catapult steam systems, ship’s service turbine generators, and auxiliary steam consumers throughout Kitty Hawk was insulated with asbestos pipe covering throughout the distribution system. Engineering ratings maintaining the steam distribution piping encountered asbestos insulation during valve maintenance, flange gasket replacement, and pipe repair operations throughout the steam system

Aviation and Catapult Systems Asbestos

Kitty Hawk’s aviation plant incorporated asbestos-containing materials:

• Steam catapult systems — Kitty Hawk’s steam-powered catapults used high-pressure steam from the boiler plant, with the catapult steam piping and accumulator systems insulated with asbestos-containing insulation materials. Aviation Boatswain’s Mates operating and maintaining the catapult systems worked in proximity to the catapult steam system insulation
• Flight deck and hangar deck construction — the hangar deck and flight deck areas incorporated asbestos-containing materials in deck underlayment, fire suppression system components, and overhead insulation consistent with carrier construction practices of the early 1960s

Interior Construction Asbestos

Kitty Hawk’s living and working spaces incorporated asbestos-containing building materials:

• Crew berthing and officer staterooms — Kitty Hawk’s crew berthing compartments, officer staterooms, and CPO quarters used asbestos-containing floor tile and overhead insulation materials in interior construction. Crew members living and working in these spaces accumulated background asbestos exposure from the interior construction
• Engineering space overhead and bulkhead insulation — engineering spaces in Kitty Hawk’s hull used asbestos-containing overhead and bulkhead insulation materials in the space construction, with engineering ratings working in these spaces accumulating background exposure from the space construction in addition to any direct equipment maintenance exposure

VA Claims for USS Kitty Hawk Veterans

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure aboard Navy aircraft carriers. Boiler Tenders, Machinist’s Mates, and crew members who served aboard USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63 / CV-63) 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.