US Navy destroyer drifted powerless in South China Sea for four days
The USS Benfold, a guided-missile destroyer with the George Washington strike group, lost power for several days in the South China Sea in July after a generator failure and had to be towed to the Philippines. The incident adds to broader concerns about strain on deployed US Navy crews.
A US Navy guided-missile destroyer, the USS Benfold, lost electrical power for several days in the South China Sea in July, according to a report by the independent publication US Naval Institute News. The 10,000-ton vessel was sailing with the George Washington carrier strike group at the time.
According to Commander Matthew Comer, a spokesperson for the US Seventh Fleet, the ship lost power on 24 July due to what was described as an engineering failure involving its generators. Without power, the crew went without galley services, toilets and air conditioning. Another ship in the strike group, the cruiser USS Robert Smalls, helped supply meals to the Benfold's crew.
The Benfold was towed to Subic Bay in the Philippines on 28 July, and power was restored two days later. Comer said no crew members were injured and praised their professionalism and resilience during the incident.
Wider context
The episode comes amid broader scrutiny of strain on deployed US military personnel. Separately, the administration ordered a scaling back of annual joint military exercises with South Korea, as the war against Iran continues to stretch the capacity of US aircraft carrier deployments.
The George Washington strike group was headed to the Middle East this week to relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln, whose crew has recently been the subject of reports describing multiple attempted overboard jumps after more than 200 days without a port call. This has prompted Democratic lawmakers and military families to demand answers about morale, mental health and living conditions aboard deployed ships.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has dismissed the reports as misrepresented, while Navy officials said they have not identified an increase in reported suicidal ideation aboard the Lincoln. Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command, acknowledged the crew is tired but said they remain highly operational.
