United States Navy USS Benfold Damaged

Suffered a generator failure in the South China Sea on 24 July 2026 that cut electrical power and propulsion, leaving the destroyer without potable water, air conditioning, working heads or galley service. Ships of the George Washington Carrier Strike Group stood by and the cruiser USS Robert Smalls supplied meals until contracted tugs towed Benfold into Subic Bay, Philippines, on 28 July. Power was restored on 30 July, repairs finished on 7 August and the ship sailed on 8 August. Seventh Fleet reported no injuries. It was the second shipwide power loss on a Yokosuka-based Arleigh Burke destroyer in three months, after USS Higgins in April.