USS Lake Erie (CG-70), a Ticonderoga class AEGIS guided missile cruiser, was commissioned at Bath Iron Works in July 1993. Lake Erie is perhaps most famous for the February 2008 Operation Burnt Frost in which she successfully engaged and destroyed a failing National Reconnaissance Office satellite — USA-193 — using a modified SM-3 Block IA missile, the first operational use of a ship-launched interceptor to destroy a satellite. Lake Erie carries the vertical launch system (VLS) with Standard SM-2 and SM-3 missiles and Tomahawk cruise missiles, and serves in the Pacific Fleet homeported at Pearl Harbor. Built at Bath Iron Works in 1990–1993, Lake Erie incorporated hull construction materials and gas turbine exhaust system insulation consistent with the early 1990s construction period representing the tail end of the Ticonderoga class building program.

USS Lake Erie Gas Turbine and Construction Asbestos

Lake Erie’s gas turbine propulsion plant and hull construction:

  • Gas turbine exhaust system insulation — the gas turbine exhaust ducting and uptake systems aboard Lake Erie carrying high-temperature exhaust from the four LM2500 gas turbines incorporated thermal insulation materials consistent with early 1990s naval construction specifications. Engineering ratings working in Lake Erie’s engineering spaces accumulated background exposure from any insulation materials in the exhaust system
  • Gas turbine module enclosures — the acoustic and thermal enclosures surrounding Lake Erie’s LM2500 gas turbine modules incorporated insulation materials consistent with early 1990s construction specifications
  • Hull construction materials — Lake Erie’s interior crew berthing, combat systems spaces, VLS magazine, and working spaces were constructed using early 1990s hull construction materials during a period when asbestos use in naval construction had been substantially reduced or eliminated

VA Claims for USS Lake Erie Veterans

VA evaluates asbestos-related disability claims on a case-by-case basis. Veterans generally need evidence of in-service asbestos exposure, a current asbestos-related diagnosis, and a medical link between them. Officers and crew members who served aboard USS Lake Erie 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 Lake Erie

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 Disability Claims for Asbestos-Related Disease

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs evaluates asbestos claims individually. A veteran generally needs medical evidence of a current asbestos-related disease, service evidence supporting in-service asbestos exposure, and a medical opinion connecting the two. Ship assignments, Navy ratings, and equipment records can help document the exposure history but do not create automatic service connection.

Approved claims may provide monthly disability compensation and related benefits. Survivors may separately qualify for Dependency & Indemnity Compensation when the applicable requirements are met. Civil lawsuits and asbestos-trust claims use different standards; claimants should obtain individualized advice about how the processes interact.

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.