The Austin class consisted of 12 amphibious transport docks (LPD-4 through LPD-15) commissioned between 1965 and 1971 at Ingalls Shipbuilding and New York Naval Shipyard. The Austin class combined helicopter flight deck, well deck for landing craft, and troop berthing in a single hull — the versatile amphibious ship that replaced three older single-purpose ship types. The lead ship, USS Austin (LPD-4), was commissioned in 1965. These ships used steam turbine propulsion with asbestos-containing engineering plant insulation consistent with the mid-1960s naval construction standards that prevailed when most of the class was built.

Steam Plant Asbestos

Austin-class ships used steam turbine propulsion with asbestos insulation:

  • Boiler plant — the two boilers aboard Austin-class ships used asbestos-containing boiler lagging on exterior surfaces and asbestos refractory brick in combustion chambers in the 1965-era construction. BT ratings maintaining the boiler plant in the Austin-class engineering spaces worked in proximity to asbestos-containing lagging throughout their engineering assignments
  • Main steam piping — the main steam piping from boilers to propulsion turbines and to auxiliary steam loads used asbestos magnesia pipe covering on the hot steam lines in the engineering spaces. The steam piping in the Austin-class firerooms and enginerooms was covered with asbestos block insulation under canvas jacket in the mid-1960s construction specifications
  • Well deck ballasting systems — the well deck ballasting and dewatering pumps used to flood and drain the well deck for landing craft operations used steam-driven pumps with asbestos-containing gasket materials in the MM maintenance cycle

Amphibious Operations and Marine Corps Missions

Austin-class ships supported Marine Corps amphibious operations across the fleet:

  • The Austin class served in Vietnam combat operations and Cold War amphibious exercises, with embarked Marine Corps infantry and support personnel occupying the ship’s troop berthing — built with asbestos-containing deck and overhead materials in the 1960s construction — during extended deployment periods

VA Claims for Austin-Class Veterans

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure aboard Navy amphibious ships. Engineering ratings and crew members who served aboard Austin-class LPD ships 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 Austin-Class LPD Ships

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 Presumptive Benefits — No Filing Deadline

The U.S. 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 under 38 CFR § 3.309(d). No statute of limitations applies to VA disability compensation claims.

Available benefits may include monthly disability compensation, Dependency & Indemnity Compensation (DIC) for surviving spouses, priority VA healthcare enrollment, and Special Monthly Compensation for severe cases. Parallel claims against the asbestos bankruptcy trust funds established by the manufacturers of these products do not reduce VA compensation.

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.