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USS Benfold Returns to Service After Generator Repair

8/17/2026

Summary

Benfold Returns

USS Benfold returned to service on August 8 2026 after U.S. Navy technicians finished power-generation repairs in Subic Bay, Philippines.
A generator failure caused a four-day total power loss that left about 300 crew without propulsion, climate control or water, prompting tugboats to tow the ship to Subic Bay on July 28 2026.
Defense analysts said the incident was the second Indo-Pacific destroyer power loss this year, following USS Higgins in May.

Summary

Robert Smalls Aids

USS Robert Smalls and ships from USS George Washington delivered meals and aid to the powerless USS Benfold.
USS George Washington was redeployed to the Middle East to relieve USS Abraham Lincoln, leaving the western Pacific without a carrier.
Lawmakers say the Benfold outage highlights Navy strain from the Iran war and global deployments.
The Navy has not disclosed the generator’s cause, leaving the engineering-casualty investigation open.

History

Historical Context

On 12 October 2000, al-Qaeda detonated a suicide boat in Aden harbor, ripping a hole in the port side of the guided-missile destroyer USS Cole and killing 17 sailors while injuring 37. The attack, the deadliest against a U.S. warship since the 1987 USS Stark incident, prompted the Navy to revise rules of engagement and spurred long-term repair and security reforms.

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Benfold Returns

USS Benfold returned to service on August 8 2026 after U.S. Navy technicians finished power-generation repairs in Subic Bay, Philippines.
A generator failure caused a four-day total power loss that left about 300 crew without propulsion, climate control or water, prompting tugboats to tow the ship to Subic Bay on July 28 2026.
Defense analysts said the incident was the second Indo-Pacific destroyer power loss this year, following USS Higgins in May.

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