USS Saratoga (CV-60) was a Forrestal-class conventional aircraft carrier commissioned in April 1956 at the New York Naval Shipyard in Brooklyn — the second ship of the Forrestal class. Saratoga was homeported at Naval Station Mayport, Florida throughout most of her 38-year career and participated in the Cuban Missile Crisis quarantine (1962), Vietnam combat operations, and Operation Desert Storm (1991) before decommissioning in 1994. As a late-1950s construction ship, Saratoga incorporated asbestos insulation throughout her steam plant, engineering systems, and interior spaces.

Steam Plant and Engineering Asbestos

Saratoga’s Forrestal-class steam propulsion system used asbestos insulation extensively:

  • Eight-boiler plant — the eight high-pressure boilers powering Saratoga used asbestos-containing boiler lagging on exterior surfaces, asbestos combustion chamber refractory brick, and asbestos sealing at boiler access points. The boiler plant — maintained by BT ratings in the ship’s firerooms — was the primary asbestos exposure source aboard ship
  • Main steam distribution — the main steam piping from Saratoga’s firerooms to propulsion turbines and auxiliary steam loads used asbestos magnesia pipe covering throughout the extensive steam distribution system. Saratoga’s large Forrestal-class hull required proportionally more steam piping — and more asbestos pipe covering — than the smaller Essex-class predecessors
  • Steam catapult systems — Saratoga’s four steam catapult systems used high-pressure steam from the main steam plant, with asbestos-insulated steam piping in the catapult system serving the flight deck launch cycle throughout each deployment

Interior Construction Asbestos

Saratoga’s 1956 construction incorporated asbestos in interior materials:

  • Crew accommodation — crew berthing for Saratoga’s complement of approximately 4,900 personnel used asbestos-containing deck tile and overhead materials consistent with the 1956 construction standards
  • Cuban Missile Crisis and Vietnam service — Saratoga’s 38-year service concentrated asbestos exposure across an extended period, from the Cuban Missile Crisis to Desert Storm

VA Claims for USS Saratoga Veterans

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure aboard Forrestal-class carriers. Engineering ratings who served aboard USS Saratoga 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 Saratoga

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.