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
Malu…..
ReplyDeleteEastern Bully Spy Caught in Western Bully’s Backyard….
California Democrat mayor just quit after admitting she was a Chinese communist agent.
Eileen Wang, mayor of Arcadia, stepped down after striking a plea deal and admitting she acted as an illegal foreign agent for the Chinese government — spreading Beijing’s propaganda in the U.S. under their direction.
She faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
How many more are still in office?
#ChinaSpy #CCP #California #Arcadia
https://x.com/gop_is_gutless/status/2090050323020746794?s=46&t=8K6fzabO3g6uaj4KxwSSjg
Mfer, don't just fart lah.
DeleteWait for the truth to come out from the court case.
🇹🇼🇨🇳⚠️ Taiwan has uncovered a serious security breach inside its military drone supply chain, with Chinese-made electronics allegedly concealed inside UAVs delivered directly to the Taiwanese Army.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Taiwan News, prosecutors detained the head of one drone manufacturer and a technical officer from another company after an Army inspection found Chinese-made chips and flight-control boards inside training drones. Investigators allege that certificates of origin were falsified and Chinese markings on components were removed or concealed to bypass military procurement restrictions. The suspects are being investigated under Taiwan’s National Security Act and for attempted fraud.
The case exposes precisely the vulnerability Taiwan is trying to eliminate as it rapidly expands its unmanned arsenal. Taipei wants a trusted, China-free drone supply chain because Chinese components inside military systems create potential cybersecurity, intelligence and wartime supply risks. With Taiwan planning to acquire hundreds of thousands of drones as part of its emerging “hellscape” deterrence strategy, ensuring that Beijing-linked technology cannot quietly penetrate those systems is becoming a national-security requirement, not merely a procurement issue.
https://x.com/NSTRIKE1231/status/2090034858634403932?s=20
wakakakaka… any workable drone components have to be manufactured in the China Proper. PERIOD!
Deleteooop… u buat tak tau!!!!
Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi has once again reaffirmed Tokyo's stance on Taiwan.
ReplyDeleteShe says, "Japan's own security is linked with Taiwan's security & if China dares to invade Taiwan, Japan will surely intervene.
That's powerful!
https://x.com/IsabellaAn67/status/2089973868639183219?s=20
'That's powerful'
DeleteAs in yr fart of inconsequential
Han-Chinese Doing Super Well in Taiwan. Why CCP-PRC Want To Kacau?
ReplyDeleteDengki-ke?
▬ The Taiwanese Government has deposited 10,000 Taiwanese dollars into the bank accounts of its 23 million citizens.
▬ This decision came after chip demand propelled the country's exports to record levels.
▬ The aim is to boost the public's purchasing power with the distributed funds and spread economic growth to the grassroots level.
https://x.com/borsacibirgenc/status/2089945651459105272?s=20
mfer, ever heard of The Cross-Strait Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA)???
Delete& its contributions to the overall economic development of Taiwan?
Ditto, too with the China's past patience in waiting for a peaceful unification.