USS Ray (SSN-653) was a Sturgeon-class fast-attack submarine that served the U.S. Navy from 1967 through 1993 — a 26-year service life that places her squarely within the heaviest period of asbestos use in U.S. Navy ship construction. Across her service, Ray’s crew worked daily in machinery spaces, engineering plant, and habitable compartments constructed with extensive asbestos-containing materials.
The equipment manifest below is drawn from BUSHIPS (Bureau of Ships) ship-specific documentation that identifies the machinery and equipment manufacturers installed aboard Ray. Each entry is a documented item of equipment with verified manufacturer attribution — primary-source evidence for asbestos-exposure case development by Navy veterans and their families.
Equipment Manifest
| Equipment | Manufacturer | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reactor Plant | Westinghouse | ||
| Main Propulsion Turbines | DeLaval | ||
| Diesel Generator Set (500KW) | Fairbanks Morse | ||
| 300KW Motor-Generator Set | Westinghouse | ||
| 2000 GPD vapor compression distilling plants | EB Badger | 1 | |
| 8000 GPD distilling unit | Maxim | 1 | a.k.a Cuno, AMF. ID by manual |
| Ejector for 8000 GPD Dist Plant | Baldwin Lima Hamilton | ID by manual | |
| Main Condensers | Westinghouse | ||
| HP Air Compressor | Worthington | ||
| Air Compressor | Westinghouse Air Brake | Model 2-AP-8-BS | |
| Ballast Blowing & Ventilating Compressor | Roots Connersville | ||
| Steam Generator | Babcock & Wilcox | ||
| Centrifugal Air Conditioning Plant | York | ||
| Ship Stores Refrigeration Unit | Carrier | ||
| Amine Condenser for CO2 Scrubber | G & O Manufacturing | ||
| Main Feed Pump (MD) | Ingersoll Rand | 4 | Louis Allis motor |
| Main Condensate Pumps | Aurora | ||
| A/C Aux SW Pump | Worthington | ||
| Trim and Drain Pumps | Warren | ||
| Priming Pumps for Trim and Drain Pump | Nash | ||
| Auxiliary Drain Pumps | Gorman Rupp | ||
| FO Transfer Pump | Viking | ||
| HP Brine Pump for 8000 GPD Distilling Plant | Ingersoll Rand | ||
| LP Brine & Distillate Pump | Warren | ||
| Main SW Pumps | Ingersoll Rand | ||
| Aux. FW Pump | Aurora | ||
| Aux. SW Pump | Worthington | ||
| Coolant Charging Pump | MAO | ||
| Coolant Booster Pump | Chem-Pump | ||
| Chemical Proportioning Pump | WH Eagan | ||
| Main LO Service Pump (MD) | DeLaval | ||
| LO Transfer Pump | DeLaval | ||
| Shaft LO Pump | DeLaval | ||
| SSTG Set LO Pumps (MD) | DeLaval | ||
| Hand-driven LO Pump | Blackmer | ||
| Main & Vital Hydraulic Pumps | DeLaval | ||
| External Hydraulic Pumps (MD) | DeLaval | ||
| Purification Heat Exchanger | Combustion Engineering | ||
| Heat Exchangers (FW/SW) | Foster Wheeler | ||
| Emergency Cooler | Babcock & Wilcox | ||
| FW Heat Exchanger | Aqua Chem | ||
| SW Heat Exchanger | Aqua Chem | ||
| Portable Submersible Pumps | AO Smith | ||
| Main LO Cooler | American Radiator | ||
| LO Purifiers | Penwalt | ||
| LO Heater | Wiegand | ||
| Main SW Valves | Atwood & Morrill | ||
| Four-way Valve for SSTG LO | Andale | ||
| Valves | Combination Pump Valve Co | ||
| Check Valves | Combination Pump Valve Co | ||
| Globe & Flow Control Valves | Crane | ||
| Valves for Steam Generating System | Crane | PO Index ID | |
| Check Valves | Crane | PO Index ID | |
| Temp Control Valve | Fulton Sylphon | Maxim Technical Manual ID | |
| Inlet Strainer | Gimpel | ||
| Globe Needle Valves for O2 Gen | Hoke | ||
| LO System Solenoid Valve | Huyuck | ||
| Valves for FW System | Keystone | ||
| Relief Valves | Kunkle | ||
| Back PSI Regulating Valve | Lawler | ||
| Automatic Shutoff Valves | Marotta | ||
| Steam Traps | Sarco | Class ID | |
| Hydraulic Control Valve | Sargent | ||
| Valves for CO2 Removal System | William Powell | PO Index ID |
Asbestos-Containing Materials Aboard Ray
The standard asbestos-containing materials installed throughout U.S. Navy ships of this era are documented to have included:
- Pipe lagging and thermal insulation on 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 turbines, reduction gears, and auxiliary machinery
- 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 spaces
- Asbestos rope, wick, and tape in glands, joints, and seal applications
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, and overhauled.
VA Benefits for Ray 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 documented Ray equipment manifest is direct evidence of the asbestos-containing materials her crew worked around.
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 Ray (SSN-653). Manufacturer attribution links to documented asbestos-product histories on AsbestosIndex.com where available. Editorial review applied per site standards.