The U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold lost power for four days in the South China Sea last month due to an engineering casualty involving its generators. The incident, which occurred in late July, necessitated towing the warship to Subic Bay in the Philippines for repairs, where power was restored on July 30.
According to a statement from Cmdr. Matthew Comer, a spokesperson for the U.S. 7th Fleet, the casualty resulted in a loss of power aboard the nearly 10,000-ton vessel. The disruption affected essential services including galley operations, toilets, air conditioning, and potable water. The Navy has not publicly detailed whether the failure impacted the ship's propulsion, navigation, communication, sensor, or weapons systems, which are critical for its operational capabilities. The cause of the failure is currently under investigation.
The USS Benfold was operating with the USS George Washington carrier strike group at the time of the power outage. The incident occurred in the strategically significant South China Sea, a region where the U.S. Navy regularly conducts operations with allies and partners amid China's assertive territorial claims. The Navy describes its presence in the region as part of its commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.
The breakdown also meant the Benfold depended on support from the carrier strike group as the USS George Washington was preparing to transition from the western Pacific to the Middle East, where it was scheduled to relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln. The Lincoln had been deployed since November, with acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao noting its extended deployment was due to mission demands.
Retired Navy Captain Brent Sadler has voiced concerns that the U.S. Navy's fleet is stretched too thin to effectively counter global threats from adversaries like China and Iran. Sadler pointed to the USS Abraham Lincoln's 250-day deployment as an example of the strain on a shrinking fleet and advocated for increased shipbuilding to maintain traditional deployment standards.