US destroyer USS Benfold lost power for four days in South China Sea

The U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold suffered a significant mechanical failure, leaving it without power for four days in the South China Sea. The incident, which occurred on July 24 during a routine Indo-Pacific mission, severely impacted the warship's basic operations, including propulsion, air conditioning, and sanitation.

According to the U.S. 7th Fleet, the failure affected the ship's generators. The loss of electrical power had critical consequences for the nearly 10,000-ton destroyer. Crew members faced harsh conditions, with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) during the outage. Essential services like toilets, galley operations, and air conditioning ceased to function, and for a period, the ship could not move under its own power.

Other naval vessels provided assistance, with the USS Robert Smalls supplying meals to the Benfold's crew. Ships from the USS George Washington carrier strike group also offered support. After four days, the USS Benfold was towed to Subic Bay in the Philippines, where repairs were completed by August 8, restoring the destroyer to operational status. The exact cause of the power loss remains under investigation.

This incident highlights broader concerns about the strain on the U.S. Navy due to prolonged deployments and increased operational demands. It follows reports of issues aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, which had been at sea for over 200 days without docking. The Benfold's failure is the second such incident involving a U.S. Arleigh Burke-class destroyer in the Indo-Pacific region within months, with the USS Higgins experiencing a similar loss of power and propulsion earlier this year.