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A U.S. guided-missile destroyer spent four days without power in the South China Sea last month after an engineering casualty involving its generators, forcing the Navy to tow the warship to the Philippines for repairs.
The USS Benfold lost power July 24 and was towed to Subic Bay in the Philippines on July 28, where power was restored two days later, according to U.S. 7th Fleet.
The shipped reported an “engineering casualty involving its generators, causing a loss of power,” Cmdr. Matthew Comer, a spokesperson for U.S. 7th Fleet, said in a statement to to Fox News Digital. “There were no injuries to the crew, who demonstrated resilience, grit, professionalism and unwavering steadiness in their response.”
The power loss disrupted galley services, toilets, air conditioning and potable water aboard the nearly 10,000-ton warship.
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The guided-missile cruiser USS Robert Smalls helped provide meals for the crew, while the strike group supported the destroyer during the casualty, 7th Fleet said. No injuries were reported.
The Navy has not publicly detailed whether the casualty affected the Benfold’s propulsion, navigation, communications, sensors, weapons systems or emergency power. Those facts will help define the operational impact of the failure as the Navy investigates its cause.
The ship is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, which was operating with the USS George Washington carrier strike group at the time of the power outage.
The breakdown occurred while the destroyer was in the South China Sea, a strategically vital waterway where the U.S. Navy routinely operates with allies and partners as China presses sweeping territorial claims. The Navy has described its regional missions as part of its commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.
The incident also left the Benfold dependent on support from the carrier strike group at a moment when the USS George Washington was preparing to leave the western Pacific for the Middle East.
The strike group is headed to relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been deployed since November.
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The Navy said on Aug. 14 that the Lincoln had been deployed for 266 days, including 200 days in a combat zone, and would return home as part of a planned rotation.
The shift underscores the operational demands on a Navy balancing commitments in the Middle East and Indo-Pacific. It is unclear whether The Benfold will rejoin the USS George Washington carrier strike group for its Middle East deployment after regaining power.
The 7th Fleet did not immediately say whether the Benfold casualty has prompted maintenance checks or other action across the destroyer fleet. The Navy is investigating the cause of the failure.
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Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao said the Lincoln’s deployment was extended because “the mission demanded it” and said the ship would return home as part of a planned rotation.
Cao acknowledged that a small number of personnel had received mental health treatment and that meal plans were adjusted when fresh resupply was unavailable, while disputing broader media accounts of conditions aboard the carrier.
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