US Warship Lost Power In South China Sea, Drifted For Four Days

A U.S. guided-missile destroyer sat in the dark for four days last month after an engineering casualty knocked out its generators. The ship drifted in the South China Sea before the Navy had to tow it to the Philippines for repairs. USS Benfold lost all power on July 24 and was hauled to Subic Bay on July 28, according to U.S. 7th Fleet. Power returned two days after they arrived there. Cmdr. Matthew Comer, a spokesperson for the fleet, told Fox News Digital that the crew faced no injuries. They showed resilience, grit, professionalism, and unwavering steadiness in their response to the breakdown.

Basic comforts vanished aboard the nearly 10,000-ton warship. The galley stopped working. Toiles failed. Air conditioning blew cold air only until it did not. Potable water ran dry for everyone on board. A guided-missile cruiser named USS Robert Smalls stepped in to provide meals for the stranded sailors. The strike group supported the destroyer throughout this long and miserable casualty, 7th Fleet confirmed. No injuries were reported during the ordeal. This incident first appeared in reports from USNI News.

The Navy has not publicly detailed whether the casualty affected propulsion systems or navigation tools. They have not said if communications gear, sensors, weapons systems, or emergency power suffered damage either. Those facts will help define the operational impact of the failure as investigators look for the cause. The Benfold belongs to the Arleigh Burke class and was operating with the USS George Washington Carrier Strike Group when the outage happened.

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. China presses sweeping territorial claims there. The Navy describes these regional missions as part of its commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. This incident also left Benfold dependent on support from the carrier strike group at a moment when 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.

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. This shift underscores the operational demands on a Navy balancing commitments in the Middle East and Indo-Pacific simultaneously. It is unclear whether 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 this casualty has prompted maintenance checks or other action across the destroyer fleet. The Navy continues to investigate the cause of the failure.

Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao said the Lincoln's deployment was extended because "the mission demanded it." He added that 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. At the same time, he disputed broader media accounts about conditions aboard the carrier.