US destroyer endures four-day power loss, crews left without basic services
The guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold suffered an engineering failure that knocked out power for four days, leaving its crew without toilets, galley, air-conditioning and some drinking water in the South China Sea.
During a routine mission in the South China Sea on July 24, the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Benfold suffered an engineering casualty involving its generators, causing a loss of electricity that affected toilets, galley, air-conditioning, potable-water systems and independent navigation. The US 7th Fleet reported no injuries among the roughly 300-person crew. Assistance arrived from the guided-missile cruiser USS Robert Smalls, which provided cooked meals, and from other ships attached to the Japan-based USS George Washington Carrier Strike Group.
After four days afloat without key services, the vessel proceeded to Subic Bay in the Philippines, where repairs were completed by August 8 and the ship resumed operations. The episode mirrors a May power outage on the destroyer USS Higgins, marking the second such failure among Arleigh Burke-class ships this year. The incidents occur amid broader scrutiny of US Navy workload and deployments across multiple theaters.
Why it matters
The outage highlights vulnerabilities in US naval readiness and the strain on crews during extended deployments.
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