A destroyer losing power at sea is one in a series of problems reported aboard U.S. Navy ships as naval forces face greater scrutiny after health difficulties were reported aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.
The USS Benfold (DDG-65), an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, lost power for four days in July while operating in the South China Sea. The ship was towed to U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay in the Philippines for repair.
No one was injured in the power loss, which was attributed to an engineering failure, according to USNI News, which first reported the story Aug. 14.
The power loss also knocked out galley services, toilets and air conditioning, a U.S. 7th Fleet spokesperson told USNI. Drinking water was also affected.
A fire broke out aboard a second Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, the USS Higgins (DDG-76), in the Indo-Pacific on April 28. No injuries were reported, but the fire knocked out electricity and propulsion, according to Stars and Stripes.
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Problems on the destroyers have not been linked to each other or to the USS Abraham Lincoln. But they do raise broader concern about Navy maintenance, readiness and operational strain in potentially hazardous waters.
Senate Democrats want answers about conditions aboard the Lincoln. In an Aug. 12 letter, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut asked Defense Secretary Pet Hegseth to explain why the carrier had been deployed for more than 250 days without leave.
On Aug. 16, Rep. Don Bacon, R-Nebraska, called for congressional oversight and for top Navy officials to testify about the incidents on the Lincoln, CBS reported.
On a broader note, a General Accountability Office report on Jan. 31, 2025, said the Navy faces “persistent challenges sustaining combat surface ships.”
“Navy officials we spoke to said they encounter long-running challenges such as a lack of spare parts, lack of trained personnel, and increases in deferred maintenance while trying to maintain their combat surface ships,” the GAO report said.
The USS Benfold’s breakdown occurred in the South China Sea. That’s considered a sensitive and contested operating area, according to a report by the Congressional Research Service, because multiple Asian governments, including China, claim sovereignty over parts of it.
The USS Benfold was towed to the Philippines, where power was restored July 30.
The USS Higgins’ earlier power problem occurred in the Indo-Pacific region. Power was restored before the Navy confirmed the fire on May 1.
The Navy is investigating.
US Navy ships reporting problems
A third Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, the USS Truxton (DDG-103), collided with the fast combat support ship USNS Supply (T-AOE-6) during a refueling operation Feb. 11 in the Caribbean Sea. Two crew members were injured.
The USNS Supply was refueling the cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG-64) on one side when the Truxtun approached from the other side and collided with the Supply, according to Stars and Stripes, citing U.S. officials familiar with the accident.
All ships were able to continue sailing safely, a statement from Southern Command said.
Fires have been reported on other Navy ships:
- April 19 | USS Zumwalt: Three sailors were injured when a fire broke out while the guided-missile destroyer was at a naval shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi.
- April 14 | USS Dwight D. Eisenhower: Three sailors were hurt when a small fire started during a maintenance operation at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia.
- March 12 | USS Gerald R. Ford: A fire started in the laundry area of the ship while it was in the Red Sea in support of Operation Epic Fury. Three sailors were treated.
Source: USA TODAY Network reporting and research; Reuters; U.S. Naval Institute; U.S. Government Accountability Office; U.S. Navy; Congressional Research Service