In July, the USS Benfold, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer operating as part of the George Washington carrier strike group, experienced a significant loss of power while deployed in the South China Sea. According to reports from the US Naval Institute News, the vessel was left adrift for four days following what the US Seventh Fleet described as an 'engineering casualty.'

While the Navy has confirmed the mechanical failure, the specific nature of the engineering issue remains limited in official statements. The ship was eventually towed to Subic Bay in the Philippines to undergo repairs. The incident has drawn attention to the operational readiness of the fleet, with some reports highlighting the physical conditions aboard the ship during the power outage.

There is a slight variation in how the incident's impact is characterized. RT focuses on the loss of specific onboard facilities, noting the failure of the ship's sanitation systems, whereas The Guardian frames the event within the broader context of military strain and the operational challenges facing deployed personnel. Both outlets agree that the ship was incapacitated for a four-day period and required assistance to reach port, though neither has provided a detailed technical explanation of the root cause of the engineering failure.