New alarm: U.S. warship powerless for four days

A U.S. Navy destroyer experienced a significant malfunction, drifting powerless for four days in the South China Sea after a prolonged power outage. The incident involving the USS Benfold occurred in late July, leaving the ship adrift in high temperatures.

During the outage, the ship's air conditioning failed, and toilets stopped working. The crew also lost the ability to cook. After four days, the missile-equipped vessel was towed to a port in the Philippines for repairs. While at sea, the crew received food and supplies from a U.S. Navy cruiser.

The U.S. Navy confirmed the incident to CNN, with spokesperson Matthew Comer attributing the power loss to a technical fault currently under investigation. Comer stated that no crew members were injured and praised their professionalism in handling the situation.

This event adds to growing concerns about the operational readiness and crew well-being within the U.S. Navy. It follows recent reports of crew members attempting to go overboard from the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been on a record-long deployment in the Middle East. While officials have downplayed these issues, former defense chief Mike Mullen acknowledged that the truth likely lies somewhere in between official assurances and reports of psychological distress.