US Navy destroyer loses all power for four days at sea

A US Navy destroyer carrying approximately 300 sailors lost all power for four days last month in the Pacific Ocean, forcing the crew to endure conditions without drinking water, hot meals, working toilets or air conditioning, the Navy confirmed Friday.

The USS Benfold "reported an engineering casualty involving its generators, causing a loss of power" on July 24, Navy spokesman Commander Matthew Comer said. The breakdown left the ship's entire crew exposed to the harsh conditions for the duration of the outage.

The Navy only acknowledged the incident publicly on Friday after USNI News first reported the breakdown.

Broader scrutiny of Navy conditions

The disclosure arrives as the Pentagon faces mounting pressure over quality of life aboard naval vessels and the military's capacity to keep ships adequately supplied during heightened operations linked to the Iran conflict.

Democratic lawmakers have demanded investigations into conditions aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, which recently completed a record 250 consecutive days at sea. Reports last week exposed that the Lincoln experienced supply shortages including food and hygiene products, while crew members suffered from stress and deteriorating mental health.

The back-to-back revelations about the Benfold's mechanical failure and the Lincoln's prolonged deployment underscore systemic challenges facing the Navy as it maintains operational tempo in contested waters.

Source: South China Morning Post