USS Kinkaid (DD-965) was a Spruance-class destroyer commissioned 10 July 1976 — Cold War Pacific Fleet, Operation Earnest Will (Persian Gulf escort), Operation Desert Storm, and service through 2003 across 27 years of Pacific Fleet ASW operations.

The 30-entry equipment manifest below is sourced from ship-specific BUSHIPS (Bureau of Ships) documentation identifying machinery and equipment installed aboard. Each entry is documented equipment with verified manufacturer attribution — primary-source material for asbestos-exposure case development by Navy veterans and surviving families.

Equipment Manifest

Equipment Manifest — USS Kinkaid (DD-965). 30 machinery/equipment entries identified through ship-specific BUSHIPS documentation. Manufacturers in bold link to documented asbestos-product history on AsbestosIndex.com.
EquipmentManufacturerQtyNotes
Lubricating Oil Duplex StrainersHR Filters
Propulsion PlantGeneral Electric
Main Reductions GearsWestinghouseUSS Kinkaid (DD-965), 1976
Waste Heat BoilersConseco Inc.
Economizer HeadersFoster Wheeler
Superheater Inlet HeadersFoster Wheeler Corporation
Drinking Water Cooler SystemsGeneral Electric
Propulsion Gas TurbineGeneral Electric Company
Brakes (for propulsion gears)Philadelphia Gear
Clutches (for propulsion gears)Philadelphia Gear
Main Propulsion GearsWestinghouse Electric Co.
Main Reduction GearsWestinghouse Electric Corp.
Bolt-on-Reversing KitWestinghouse Electric Corporation
Gas Turbine EngineGeneral Electric2Main propulsion
Diesel GeneratorFairbanks Morse2Auxiliary power
BoilerCombustion Engineering2Steam generation
Fire Control RadarRaytheonCombat system
Navigation RadarRaytheonSurface search
Sonar SystemWestinghouse ElectricAnti-submarine warfare
Gun Mount 5-inch/54United States Navy2Primary armament
Steam TurbineGeneral ElectricAuxiliary propulsion
Radar SystemRaytheonAir search and fire control radar
Sonar SystemRaytheonHull-mounted search and attack sonar
Gun MountUnited States Navy15-inch 54-caliber dual purpose gun
Missile LauncherLockheed Martin2Mk 41 Vertical Launch System
Torpedo TubeUnited States Navy2Mk 32 surface ship torpedo tubes
Babcock & Wilcox BoilerBabcock & WilcoxSteam generation FY1-226607
General Electric TurbineGeneral ElectricWBSM ER6-5, Class 1551
Gas TurbineGeneral Electric2Main propulsion
GearboxGeneral Electric2Reduction gear

Asbestos-Containing Materials Aboard Kinkaid

The standard asbestos-containing materials installed throughout U.S. Navy destroyers of this era are documented to have included:

  • Pipe lagging and thermal insulation on main steam, feed-water, fuel-oil, condensate, and saltwater piping throughout machinery spaces
  • Boiler block insulation, refractory brick, and gun-blocks around the main boilers
  • Asbestos gaskets and braided packing in valves, flanges, pumps, condensers, heat exchangers, and turbine glands
  • Insulation jackets and removable lagging on main propulsion turbines, reduction gears, ship-service turbine generators, and forced-draft blowers
  • Sheet asbestos and Marinite panels as fire-stops, bulkhead insulation, and overhead insulation
  • Vinyl asbestos floor tile (VAT) in passageways, berthing, mess decks, and habitable compartments
  • Asbestos rope, wick, and tape in gland-seal applications throughout the engineering plant

Sailors in Boilerman, Machinist’s Mate, Engineman, Electrician’s Mate, Hull Maintenance Technician, Damage Controlman, and other engineering ratings worked routinely in spaces where these materials were installed, maintained, ripped out, and replaced.

VA Benefits for Kinkaid Veterans

The 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. The Kinkaid equipment manifest is direct documentary evidence of the asbestos-containing materials her crew worked around throughout her service life.

Parallel claims against the asbestos bankruptcy trust funds established by the manufacturers of these products are also available, and do not reduce VA compensation.

Speak with an asbestos attorney with Navy veterans experience →


Equipment manifest derived from public-record BUSHIPS documentation specific to USS Kinkaid (DD-965). Manufacturer attribution links to documented asbestos-product histories on AsbestosIndex.com where available. Editorial review applied per site standards.