USS Swordfish (SSN-579) — Equipment Manifest & Asbestos Exposure Record

Documented equipment manifest and asbestos exposure record for USS Swordfish (SSN-579). 12 machinery and manufacturer entries derived from the public...

By Rights Watch Media Group LLC •June 6, 2026 • 2 min read

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Hull

SSN-579

Class

SSN hull series

⚙ View Equipment Manifest Documented BUSHIPS machinery & manufacturers aboard Swordfish SSN-579 ↓ All Ship Manifests ›

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Service History

From the public Wikipedia / DANFS service-history record — source ›

USS Swordfish (SSN-579), a Skate-class nuclear submarine, was commissioned in September 1958 and assigned to the Pacific Fleet in 1959, becoming the second nuclear-powered submarine to join the U.S. Pacific Fleet. She conducted numerous western Pacific deployments and special operations throughout the Cold War, including classified missions in 1963 that provided intelligence on Soviet naval capabilities. The submarine remained in active service through at least 1981, undergoing multiple refuelings and overhauls at various shipyards.

Construction & Service Dates

Builder: Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine
Laid down: 1956-01-25
Launched: 1957-08-27
Commissioned: 1958-09-15

Notable Tours / Service Eras

Cold War Pacific Fleet 1959-1981
Western Pacific deployments 1960-1980

Home Ports & Forward Bases

Pearl Harbor, Hawaii — home port from 16 March 1959
Mare Island Naval Shipyard, California — 1962
San Francisco Naval Shipyard — 1965-1967
Yokosuka, Japan — multiple visits 1968-1980
Sasebo, Japan — 1968
Buckner Bay — 1971
Pusan — 1971, 1977, 1979
Hong Kong — 1971, 1977
Guam — 1978, 1979
Chinhae — 1978
Philippines — 1978

Drydock & Overhaul Periods High Asbestos-Exposure Window

Mare Island Naval Shipyard · 1962
overhaul — first nuclear submarine overhauled on Pacific coast
San Francisco Naval Shipyard · 1965-1967
refueling and SubSafe overhaul
Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard · 1970
availability
Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard · 1972-1973
annual overhaul
Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard · 1981
overhaul and refueling

Asbestos rip-out, insulation replacement, and gasket-packing work occurred during these yard periods. Sailors aboard during overhauls had peak exposure to airborne asbestos fiber.

Notable Incidents

8 March 1968 — K-129 Soviet submarine sank; Swordfish reported damaged periscope, collision allegations disputed
May 1968 — alleged radioactive coolant water release in Sasebo harbor, Japan
22 June 1977 — Mark 14 exercise torpedo made circular run and struck own port screw
September 1978 — paint scraper jammed torpedo launcher loading piston; repairs cost $171,000
July 1979 — diesel engine muffler exhaust valve broke, flooding engine during WestPac deployment
Late October 1985 — drain pump failure caused engine room bilge flooding and fire; free surface effect caused extreme up-angle

Read the video transcript

Did you serve aboard the USS Swordfish? This submarine carried asbestos in nearly every compartment. Here is where it was, and who is responsible. The USS Swordfish, hull number SSN-579, was a submarine, built by Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and commissioned in 1958. She served through Cold War Pacific Fleet, and Western Pacific deployments. Public naval references list this equipment aboard the USS Swordfish, SSN-579 — insulated and sealed with asbestos. Each shipyard overhaul and major repair meant asbestos insulation was torn out and replaced — peak-exposure work for the yard workers and the crew aboard. Exposure was worst in the engineering spaces, where the snipes worked — but asbestos lined the whole ship, so all hands were exposed. The companies that made the asbestos equipment aboard — not the Navy — are who asbestos claims are brought against. According to asbestos litigation records, the equipment aboard the USS Swordfish from makers such as Leslie allegedly contained asbestos. If you served aboard the USS Swordfish and were later diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or another asbestos-related disease, you may have a legal claim against the companies that made the asbestos products used aboard your ship. This is educational information from an independent publisher — not a law firm — and is not legal advice.

USS Swordfish (SSN-579) is a documented U.S. Navy nuclear-powered attack submarine with asbestos-exposure evidence in the public litigation record. The equipment manifest below was assembled from depositions, expert reports, and manufacturer interrogatory responses filed in U.S. asbestos litigation that reference equipment installed aboard this vessel.

Equipment Manifest

Equipment Manifest — USS Swordfish (SSN-579). 12 machinery/equipment entries identified through ship-specific BUSHIPS documentation. Manufacturers in bold link to documented asbestos-product history on AsbestosIndex.com.

Equipment	Manufacturer	Notes
Steam Reducing Valves	Leslie	USS Swordfish (SSN-579) listed in technical manual
Pressure Reducing Valve	Leslie	USS Swordfish (SSN-579) listed in technical manual
Steam Whistle	Leslie	USS Swordfish (SSN-579) listed in technical manual
Diaphragm Control Valve	Leslie	USS Swordfish (SSN-579) listed in technical manual
Temperature Regulating Valve	Leslie	USS Swordfish (SSN-579) listed in technical manual
Valve Strainers	Leslie	USS Swordfish (SSN-579) listed in technical manual
Thermostatic Valves	Leslie	USS Swordfish (SSN-579) listed in technical manual
Fuel Oil Heater Thermo Controlled Valves	Leslie	USS Swordfish (SSN-579) listed in technical manual
HP Steam Pressure Reducing Valves	Leslie	USS Swordfish (SSN-579) listed in technical manual
Condensate Regulator Valve	Leslie	USS Swordfish (SSN-579) listed in technical manual
Main Feed Pump Governors	Leslie	USS Swordfish (SSN-579) listed in technical manual
Main Lubricating Oil Pump Governors	Leslie	USS Swordfish (SSN-579) listed in technical manual

Note: this manifest is derived from public asbestos litigation records (depositions, expert reports, manufacturer interrogatories) rather than primary BUSHIPS construction documents. Entries reflect what has been documented or alleged in publicly filed legal records.

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 Swordfish

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:

Boilerman (BT) — boiler-room operations, refractory work, burner maintenance
Machinist’s Mate (MM) — main propulsion turbines, reduction gears, condensers, pumps
Engineman (EN) — auxiliary diesel and gasoline engines, gland packing
Electrician’s Mate (EM) — cable runs through asbestos-insulated chases, motor-generator sets
Hull Maintenance Technician (HT) / Pipefitter — piping system maintenance, gasket replacement, valve repacking
Damage Controlman (DC) — firefighting equipment, fire-stops, bulkhead penetrations
Fireman (FN) — engineering-plant tending across boiler and engine rooms

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.

Documented Asbestos-Exposure Environments — U.S. Navy Service

Public-domain U.S. Navy photographs illustrating the engineering spaces, ratings, and yard environments where asbestos materials were routinely encountered during normal duty.

Boiler Room Sailor stands watch in the aft machinery room of USS Iwo Jima. (35298984822) Source: Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

Drydock Overhaul USS Newport News (CA-148) in drydock at the Norfolk Navy Yard 1965 Source: Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

Engine Room Flickr - Official U.S. Navy Imagery - USS Sterett Sailor takes equipment readings in ship's engine room. Source: Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

Engineering Watch USS Bataan Stands Full Female Engineering Watch Team (8442031) Source: Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

US Navy 061108-N-6652A-037 U.S. Navy Aviation Machinist's Mate 3rd Class Roy Hernandez, left, and Aviation Machinist's Mate Airman Jerry … — Machinist Mate US Navy 061108-N-6652A-037 U.S. Navy Aviation Machinist's Mate 3rd Class Roy Hernandez, left, and Aviation Machinist's Mate Airman Jerry Rivera work on a rotor … Source: Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

Navy Fireroom Fireroom aboard USS Rochester (CA-124), in 1955 Source: Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

US Navy 080208-N-6538W-019 Civilian yard workers from Puget Sound Naval Shipyard perform maintenance on the bow catapults of the … — Shipyard Worker US Navy 080208-N-6538W-019 Civilian yard workers from Puget Sound Naval Shipyard perform maintenance on the bow catapults of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier … Source: Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

All images are public domain (U.S. Government works). Specific photographs depict generic Navy engineering and yard environments — not the named vessel above. Asbestos materials shown or implied include pipe lagging, boiler insulation, steam-line covering, and gasket / packing materials standard on U.S. Navy vessels through the early 1980s.

Swordfish SSN-579 — Frequently Asked Questions

Are Swordfish SSN-579 veterans covered by Navy asbestos litigation records?

Yes. Swordfish SSN-579 is documented in the public U.S. Navy asbestos litigation record. U.S. Navy vessels of her service era were built to BUSHIPS specifications that required asbestos insulation throughout engineering spaces, on steam lines, around boilers and turbines, and in gasket and packing materials.

Which shipboard components on Swordfish SSN-579 contained asbestos?

Asbestos-containing materials documented aboard U.S. Navy vessels of Swordfish SSN-579's era include: boiler insulation and lagging, steam-line pipe insulation, turbine and reduction-gear casings, valve packing, gaskets, brake and clutch friction materials, electrical wire insulation, overhead pipe coverings in berthing and mess spaces, and Navy-issue boiler cement and refractory in fireboxes.

What ratings were exposed to asbestos serving on Swordfish SSN-579?

Navy ratings with the highest documented asbestos exposure include Machinist's Mate (MM), Boiler Technician (BT), Hull Maintenance Technician (HT), Engineman (EN), Electrician's Mate (EM), Interior Communications Electrician (IC), Damage Controlman (DC), and Pipefitter / Shipfitter. Officers in engineering departments also encountered asbestos in normal duty. Shipyard workers performing overhaul, repair, or refit work had concentrated exposure during yard periods.

What equipment manufacturers are documented on Swordfish SSN-579?

Documented equipment manufacturers aboard Swordfish SSN-579 include: Leslie. These manufacturers supplied boilers, turbines, pumps, valves, electrical equipment, and insulation systems through BUSHIPS contracts during the asbestos era.

Do Swordfish SSN-579 veterans qualify for VA disability for mesothelioma?

Potentially. VA evaluates asbestos-related disability claims individually. Swordfish SSN-579 veterans generally need medical records showing the current disease, service records supporting in-service asbestos exposure, and a doctor's statement connecting the two. Veterans may file at VA.gov, call 1-800-827-1000, or seek free help from an accredited Veterans Service Organization such as DAV, VFW, or the American Legion.

Disclaimer: The information in this article is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute medical or legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by reading this site. References to ships, shipyards, companies, products, and asbestos-containing materials are drawn from public VA records, NARA archives, EPA/OSHA databases, and public litigation records. All references reflect what has been documented or alleged in publicly filed records. Consult a licensed physician for medical guidance and a qualified attorney for legal advice regarding your specific situation.

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VA disability benefits are a separate government process. To file a VA disability claim for asbestos exposure, visit VA.gov › Hazardous Materials Exposure, call 1‑800‑827‑1000, or contact a Veterans Service Organization (DAV, VFW, American Legion) for free claim assistance.

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