Two Navy Destroyers Went Dead In The Water In Just Three Months
Two of the U.S. Navy's front-line destroyers suffered ship wide power failures in the Indo-Pacific within three months.
Two of the U.S. Navy’s front-line destroyers suffered ship wide power failures in the Indo-Pacific within three months.
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold lost power for four days while operating in the South China Sea in July following an engineering issue involving its generators, U.S. 7th Fleet told USNI News. The issue came less than three months after another Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, USS Higgins, lost power and propulsion while conducting routine operations in the Indo-Pacific, Stars and Stripes reported.
Benfold reported the issue on July 24, leaving sailors without air conditioning, galley services and functioning toilets, USNI News reported. Potable water was also affected, according to the outlet.
The George Washington Carrier Strike Group supported the stranded destroyer, while USS Robert Smalls provided meals to the crew, USNI News reported, citing 7th Fleet spokesman Cmdr. Matthew Comer.
U.S. Indo-Pacific Command did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Contracted tugboats eventually towed Benfold to Subic Bay in the Philippines on July 28. Power was restored July 30, and repairs were completed Aug. 7, allowing the destroyer to return to operations. The Navy is still investigating the cause of the issue.
The incident occurred roughly three months after the USS Higgins reported an issue with its electrical distribution system on April 28 while operating in the Indo-Pacific.
“Higgins experienced a loss of power throughout the ship, resulting in the loss of propulsion,” 7th Fleet spokesman Cmdr. Matthew Comer told Stars and Stripes