U.S. Navy Destroyer Adrift 4 Days in China’s Backyard: From Korean War Hero to Helpless in South China Sea
By Sakshi Tiwari
-August 18, 2026
US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Benfold—named after a ‘Medal of Honor’ awardee for his heroism in the Korean War—was stranded in China’s “backyard” – the South China Sea for four days after it abruptly lost power.
The guided-missile destroyer reportedly spent four days adrift after it lost power last month in the South China Sea, which is almost entirely claimed by China as its sovereign territory and is a frequent site of showdowns between Beijing and other claimants, most notably the Philippines, a US treaty ally in the region.
“On July 24, 2026, while conducting routine operations in the Indo-Pacific, Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold (DDG 65) reported an engineering casualty involving its generators, causing a loss of power,” Navy Cmdr. Matthew Comer, spokesperson for the 7th Fleet, said in a statement to USNI News on August 17, 2026. “There were no injuries to the crew, who demonstrated resilience, grit, professionalism and unwavering steadiness in their response,” he added.
The incident occurred when the USS Benfold was conducting routine operations in the Indo-Pacific as part of the USS George Washington carrier strike group (CSG), which has now been redeployed to the Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility.
In addition to the ship’s maneuvering capability, its galley services, toilets, air conditioning, and potable water were affected due to the power loss, Cmdr. Comer stated.
Other ships in the CSG aided USS Benfold, including USS Robert Smalls, which reportedly provided the stranded crew with meals and other help.
On July 28, Benfold was transported to Subic Bay in the Philippines by contractor tugboats, where staff from the Japan Regional Maintenance Center’s Ship Repair Facility greeted it and provided contracted housing off the ship.
According to Cmdr. Comer, power was restored on July 30, and all repairs were completed by the time the ship finished a fuel berth shift on August 7. The destroyer finally departed Subic Bay on August 8, 2026.
US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Benfold—named after a ‘Medal of Honor’ awardee for his heroism in the Korean War—was stranded in China’s “backyard” – the South China Sea for four days after it abruptly lost power.
The guided-missile destroyer reportedly spent four days adrift after it lost power last month in the South China Sea, which is almost entirely claimed by China as its sovereign territory and is a frequent site of showdowns between Beijing and other claimants, most notably the Philippines, a US treaty ally in the region.
“On July 24, 2026, while conducting routine operations in the Indo-Pacific, Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold (DDG 65) reported an engineering casualty involving its generators, causing a loss of power,” Navy Cmdr. Matthew Comer, spokesperson for the 7th Fleet, said in a statement to USNI News on August 17, 2026. “There were no injuries to the crew, who demonstrated resilience, grit, professionalism and unwavering steadiness in their response,” he added.
The incident occurred when the USS Benfold was conducting routine operations in the Indo-Pacific as part of the USS George Washington carrier strike group (CSG), which has now been redeployed to the Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility.
In addition to the ship’s maneuvering capability, its galley services, toilets, air conditioning, and potable water were affected due to the power loss, Cmdr. Comer stated.
Other ships in the CSG aided USS Benfold, including USS Robert Smalls, which reportedly provided the stranded crew with meals and other help.
On July 28, Benfold was transported to Subic Bay in the Philippines by contractor tugboats, where staff from the Japan Regional Maintenance Center’s Ship Repair Facility greeted it and provided contracted housing off the ship.
According to Cmdr. Comer, power was restored on July 30, and all repairs were completed by the time the ship finished a fuel berth shift on August 7. The destroyer finally departed Subic Bay on August 8, 2026.
USS Benfold-Wikipedia
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