A US Navy guided-missile destroyer spent four days without working toilets, galley services, air conditioning and some potable-water facilities after an engineering failure knocked out power aboard the ship in the South China Sea last month, according to a report by CNN.The USS Benfold, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, suffered an “engineering casualty involving its generators” on July 24 while conducting routine operations in the Indo-Pacific, US 7th Fleet spokesperson Cmdr Matthew Comer told CNN. The Navy said there were no injuries among the crew.
What happened aboard USS Benfold?
The power loss affected several essential services aboard the nearly 10,000-ton warship, including its toilets, galley, air conditioning and potable water. The incident also affected the ship’s ability to manoeuvre independently, according to the Navy.The exact cause of the failure remains under investigation. The incident was first reported by USNI News.The Benfold was eventually taken to Subic Bay in the Philippines for repairs. The Navy said repairs were completed by August 8 and that the destroyer subsequently returned to duty.The Benfold was not left entirely without support during the incident. The guided-missile cruiser USS Robert Smalls provided cooked meals, while other vessels from the Japan-based USS George Washington Carrier Strike Group also assisted the destroyer during the four-day outage, according to the 7th Fleet.The incident occurred in the South China Sea in late July, when daytime temperatures typically ranged between about 32°C and 37°C, making the loss of air conditioning particularly difficult for the crew.Former US Navy captain Carl Schuster, who previously experienced a much shorter power loss aboard a destroyer, told CNN that the situation would have placed different pressures on the crew, from engineers working to restore power to navigation officers dealing with the ship’s position and weather.
Second US destroyer power failure this year
The Benfold incident is the second reported power-related failure involving a US Navy destroyer in the Indo-Pacific this year.In May, the USS Higgins lost power and propulsion for several hours in the region after what the Navy described as an electrical-system “engineering casualty”. The incident left the destroyer, which had about 300 crew members, temporarily unable to manoeuvre, CNN reported.The Benfold and Higgins belong to the Arleigh Burke class, the backbone of the US Navy’s surface fleet, which has more than 70 destroyers in service.
Incident comes amid wider strain on US Navy
The Benfold’s breakdown comes as the US Navy faces growing scrutiny over the demands placed on its ships and crews by the prolonged war with Iran and commitments across multiple regions.The USS Abraham Lincoln has been at sea for an unusually long deployment while conducting operations against Iran. Reports have raised concerns about conditions aboard the carrier, including crew welfare, supplies and mental health, although Pentagon and Navy officials have disputed some of the claims.The Navy is now preparing to send the USS George Washington from the western Pacific to the Middle East to replace the Lincoln. That move is expected to temporarily leave the western Pacific without a US aircraft carrier.The carrier redeployment has also raised concerns about the strategic consequences for the Indo-Pacific. The Washington’s departure would temporarily remove the US Navy’s most visible symbol of military power from the western Pacific at a time when China has been increasing activity around disputed areas.
