Asbestos on Aircraft Carriers

Before the early 1980s, every U.S. Navy aircraft carrier was built with asbestos, a cancer-causing material. Veterans exposed to asbestos on aircraft carriers are now at risk of a cancer called mesothelioma. Our team can help you pursue military benefits, medical treatments, and legal compensation if you developed mesothelioma from serving on an aircraft carrier.

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Aircraft Carriers and Mesothelioma Risks

The U.S. Navy used asbestos-containing products on all aircraft carriers built from the 1930s to the early 1980s. The government mandated the use of asbestos aboard all Navy vessels as it was cheap, fire-resistant, and a good insulator.

A black and white photo of an aircraft carrier

Navy personnel didn’t know asbestos could cause mesothelioma until millions had already been exposed. This is because private companies hid the dangers of asbestos to keep making money.

Asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma take 10-50 years to develop, so veterans who served aboard aircraft carriers decades ago are still at risk today.

The Mesothelioma Veterans Center is here to assist any U.S. veterans or their loved ones harmed by asbestos on aircraft carriers.

Work with us to access benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), care from top mesothelioma doctors and hospitals, and compensation if eligible. Get our Free Veterans Packet to see all the ways we may be able to help you.

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List of Aircraft Carriers That Used Asbestos

More than 60 U.S. Navy aircraft carriers used asbestos-containing products. As a result, there's a high likelihood that thousands of veterans were exposed. Aircraft carriers relied on asbestos materials for fireproofing, insulation, and durability for decades.

These aircraft carriers included:

  • USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72)
  • USS America (CV-66)
  • USS Antietam (CV-36)
  • USS Bataan (CVL-29)
  • USS Belleau Wood (CVL-24)
  • USS Bennington (CV-20)
  • USS Bon Homme Richard (CV-31)
  • USS Boxer (CV-21)
  • USS Bunker Hill (CV-17)
  • USS Cabot (CVL-28)
  • USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70)
  • USS Constellation (CV-64)
  • USS Coral Sea (CVB-43)
  • USS Cowpens (CVL-25)
  • USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69)
  • USS Enterprise (CV-6)
  • USS Enterprise (CVN-65)
  • USS Essex (CV-9)
  • USS Forrestal (CV-59)
  • USS Franklin (CV-13)
  • USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVB-42)
  • USS Hancock (CV-19)
  • USS Hornet (CV-8)
  • USS Hornet (CV-12)
  • USS Independence (CVL-22)
  • USS Independence (CV-62)
  • USS Intrepid (CV-11)
  • USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67)
  • USS Kearsarge (CV-33)
  • USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63)
  • USS Lake Champlain (CV-39)
  • USS Langley (CV-1)
  • USS Langley (CVL-27)
  • USS Lexington (CV-2)
  • USS Lexington (CV-16)
  • USS Leyte (CV-32)
  • USS Midway (CVB-41)
  • USS Monterey (CVL-26)
  • USS Nimitz (CVN-68)
  • USS Oriskany (CV-34)
  • USS Philippine Sea (CV-47)
  • USS Princeton (CVL-23)
  • USS Princeton (CV-37)
  • USS Randolph (CV-15)
  • USS Ranger (CV-4)
  • USS Ranger (CV-61)
  • USS Reprisal (CV-35)
  • USS Saipan (CVL-48)
  • USS San Jacinto (CVL-30)
  • USS Saratoga (CV-3)
  • USS Saratoga (CV-60)
  • USS Shangri-la (CV-38)
  • USS Tarawa (CV-40)
  • USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71)
  • USS Ticonderoga (CV-14)
  • USS Valley Forge (CV-45)
  • USS Wasp (CV-7)
  • USS Wasp (CV-18)
  • USS Wright (CVL-49)
  • USS Yorktown (CV-5)
  • USS Yorktown (CV-10)
Have You Served Aboard Any of These Aircraft Carriers?File a VA Claim Now

Hundreds of other U.S. Navy ships also contained asbestos. You may have been exposed even if the vessel you served on is not listed above.

Who Was at Risk of Exposure to Asbestos on Aircraft Carriers?

Any Navy veterans who served on aircraft carriers before the early 1980s may have been exposed to asbestos. As service members worked with asbestos on aircraft carriers, fibers could have entered the air. Aircraft carriers weren’t well-ventilated, so asbestos often stayed in the air for hours.

Anyone who breathed in or swallowed the fibers could develop mesothelioma later in life. Those at the highest risk of exposure worked with or near asbestos as part of their jobs aboard the ships.

Jobs with a high risk of exposure to asbestos on aircraft carriers included:

  • Aircraft mechanics
  • Boilermakers
  • Electricians
  • Hull technicians
  • Pipefitters
  • Plumbers

  • “I was a boiler tender when I went aboard my first ship and started doing my first job. I asked them what material it was made out of and they told me it was asbestos.”

    – Walter Twidwell, U.S. Navy veteran with mesothelioma

Asbestos Exposure in Shipyards

Navy shipyard personnel who built and repaired aircraft carriers and other ships also had a high risk of asbestos exposure.

The work done in Navy shipyards forced sailors to take out asbestos-containing products from ships and install new ones, frequently exposing them to asbestos fibers.

If you developed mesothelioma after serving on an aircraft carrier or working in a shipyard, you may qualify for VA benefits. Get started right now.

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Products Containing Asbestos on Aircraft Carriers

More than 300 asbestos-containing products were used on older U.S. Navy ships like aircraft carriers. Navy veterans who installed, repaired, or replaced these parts may have been exposed to asbestos.

Learn about some of the most commonly used products below.

Boilers

Navy boilers were coated with asbestos-containing insulation. As the insulation wore out over time, asbestos fibers were released into the air.

Many boiler rooms were cramped and poorly ventilated. This meant that Navy boilermakers could have breathed in or swallowed asbestos fibers while working.

Pipe Insulation

Pipes that carried steam through aircraft carriers were covered in asbestos insulation, which was wrapped in a layer of felt and then covered with tar.

Pumps

Asbestos pumps helped control the ships’ air conditioning systems. Bilge pumps, which removed water that seeped into the carriers, were also coated with asbestos.

Valves

Valves, which controlled the flow of fluids and gasses on aircraft carriers, were made with asbestos to resist pressure and corrosion.

Image showing USS Abraham Lincoln exposure areas

Other Asbestos-Containing Products

So many asbestos-based parts were used aboard Navy aircraft carriers that exposure was hard to avoid.

Asbestos could be found in:

  • Adhesives
  • Block insulation
  • Cables
  • Capacitors
  • Deck covering materials
  • Gaskets
  • Grinders
  • Packing materials
  • Paneling
  • Tubes

If you were exposed to asbestos on aircraft carriers, you may qualify for VA benefits, treatments, and financial compensation. Get started with a Free Veterans Packet.

Where Was Asbestos on Aircraft Carriers?

Asbestos-containing products were found throughout U.S. aircraft carriers and other vessels built by the Navy.

Asbestos was used in:

  • Boiler rooms
  • Damage control rooms
  • Engine rooms
  • Navigation rooms
  • Propulsion rooms
  • Pump rooms

It wasn't just the aircraft carriers themselves that were built with asbestos. U.S. Navy and Air Force planes stored on these carriers also used asbestos products like brake pads and engine linings to reduce the risk of fires.

Does the Military Still Use Asbestos on Aircraft Carriers?

The Navy does not use asbestos when building new aircraft carriers or other ships today. Steps were also taken to remove asbestos-based products from naval ships once the mineral’s dangers were widely known.

That said, some older aircraft carriers may still contain asbestos today. It was not possible for the Navy to remove all of the asbestos since each ship contained tons of it.

Three aircraft carriers built with asbestos are still used by the Navy:

  • USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70)
  • USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69)
  • USS Nimitz (CVN-68)

Fortunately, the asbestos products still in use on these vessels are well-contained and don’t pose a risk to human health.

Compensation for Exposure to Asbestos on Aircraft Carriers

Veterans who developed mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos on aircraft carriers are often eligible for financial compensation.

This compensation can help veterans cover medical expenses associated with their diagnosis and keep their families safe.

Eligible veterans can get compensation from:

VA Benefits

Veterans can access monthly disability compensation typically worth over $4,000 a month in 2026, as well as free or low-cost medical care, with their VA benefits.

Mesothelioma Lawsuits

Lawsuits against asbestos companies award over $1 million on average. Veterans can still get VA benefits if they file a mesothelioma lawsuit.

Our legal partners have secured millions of dollars in settlements for Navy veterans who developed mesothelioma from exposure to asbestos on aircraft carriers.

Notable aircraft carrier mesothelioma settlements include: 

  • $4 million to a Massachusetts veteran who served on the USS Randolph
  • $3.47 million to the loved ones of a Tennessee veteran who served on the USS San Jacinto
  • $3.42 million for a veteran who was stationed on the USS Enterprise and USS Canal
  • $3.37 million to an Idaho veteran who was aboard the USS Wasp
  • $3.17 million for a Georgia veteran who worked in the USS Essex's engine room

We may be able to help you or a loved one secure compensation too. Call (877) 450-8973 now.

Asbestos Trust Fund Claims

If you've developed mesothelioma or another asbestos-related illness, you may qualify for money from trust funds set up by bankrupt companies. Asbestos trust funds contain over $30 billion today.

Download VA forms for free here, or have our VA-Accredited Attorney fill them out for you!

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We Can Help Veterans Exposed to Asbestos on Aircraft Carriers

U.S. Navy veterans who served aboard aircraft carriers and other ships put their lives on the line to defend our country. These brave veterans don’t deserve to suffer from mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases.

The Mesothelioma Veterans Center is available to help you or a U.S. veteran you love in any way we can.

Our team can help you:

  • File or increase your mesothelioma VA benefits
  • Find top doctors and hospitals in the VA’s network
  • Seek compensation from lawsuits and trust fund claims

You served your country with dignity and pride — now let us serve you. Get started with a Free Veterans Packet or by calling (877) 450-8973 to speak with a member of our team.

Aircraft Carriers and Mesothelioma FAQs

What was the toxic exposure on aircraft carriers?

Many aircraft carriers had a toxic substance called asbestos aboard. Approximately 60 Navy aircraft carriers contained asbestos-containing products up through the early 1980s.

After the risks of asbestos came to light, the Navy no longer used this substance to build aircraft carriers or other ships.

Still, it’s believed that millions of veterans were exposed to asbestos on aircraft carriers and other ships before the risks were well-known.

Did the USS Enterprise have asbestos in it?

Yes, both the USS Enterprise (CV-6) and the USS Enterprise (CVN-65) were built with asbestos-containing materials.

If you served aboard these ships, you may have been exposed to asbestos and could be at risk of mesothelioma today.

Our team can find out when and how you were exposed to asbestos on aircraft carriers like the USS Enterprise. Call (877) 450-8973 now.

When was asbestos used on aircraft carriers?

Asbestos was used on aircraft carriers from the 1930s to the early 1980s due to government mandates.

At the time, asbestos was thought to be a safe substance as makers of asbestos-based products hid the dangers of this mineral from the public.

When did they stop using asbestos in Navy ships?

The U.S. Navy stopped using asbestos aboard aircraft carriers and other vessels in the early 1980s. Older Navy ships also were refurbished, with most of the asbestos-containing products aboard removed.

That said, a full asbestos ban was never put into place in the U.S. A handful of older Navy aircraft carriers may still have asbestos products aboard today.

In these cases, though, the products are unlikely to pose a high risk of exposure since they are probably sturdy.

Did the USS Nimitz have asbestos?

Yes, you may have been exposed to asbestos on the USS Nimitz.

Asbestos-containing products aboard the USS Nimitz include insulation and gaskets.

Veterans Support TeamLast modified:
Christopher Dryfoos Photo
Written by and Fact-Checked by:

Contributing Author

Christopher Dryfoos is a journalist and member of the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA). As the grandson of the U.S. Navy’s first forensic pathologist, he aims to help veterans with mesothelioma access needed care.