The guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold spent four days without power last month while operating in the South China Sea, according to a spokesperson for the Navy's 7th Fleet. An engineering problem caused the outage, which was not publicly disclosed for nearly a month. Commander Matthew Comer stated that the incident resulted in no injuries to the crew.
The loss of power occurred while the vessel was in an area described by officials as "not friendly waters." During the outage, the ship was protected by nearby air and surface assets, including direct support from the George Washington Carrier Strike Group. The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Robert Smalls provided meals to the Benfold's crew while the ship's systems were offline.
The outage impacted essential shipboard services, including plumbing, toilets, air conditioning, and meal preparation. Contracted tugboats eventually towed the Benfold into Subic Bay, Philippines, for repairs. Experts from the Ship Repair Facility - Japan Regional Maintenance Center met the vessel upon its arrival on July 28. Following the arrival, the crew was moved to contracted lodging off the ship starting July 29, and power was restored on July 30.
The event has led to calls for increased legislative oversight of Navy maintenance and personnel welfare. Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) stated during a Sunday interview that Congress should conduct oversight and request testimony from senior Navy officials regarding shipboard conditions. This development follows separate reports of concerns regarding the USS Abraham Lincoln, where family members have cited the stress of long deployments and potential mental health impacts on the crew. The incident sets a precedent for how the Navy manages the public disclosure of major mechanical failures on frontline vessels operating in contested waters.
Repairs to the Benfold, which included work on engineering and combat systems, were finalized on Aug. 7. The vessel departed Subic Bay on Aug. 8 to resume routine operations with the 7th Fleet. The Navy has stated that the cause of the engineering problem is currently under investigation. While the George Washington is scheduled to relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East, the Navy has not announced specific dates for upcoming congressional hearings or the completion of the formal investigation into the Benfold's power failure.