一艘载有大约140名官兵的美军潜艇,在佛罗里达州对开海域游弋时,一度与美军控制中心失去联络。海军担心潜艇沉没,于周二晚启动应变机制,派出战机和船只进行大规模的搜索行动,到14日清晨终于发现它的踪影,证实只是虚惊一场。当局现正调查潜艇一度失去联络10个小时的原因。 ( z4 Q# V3 \+ M. Z( U! t/ B4 }4 _$ _+ V) h6 l9 {) _! [: F
海军证实,已于14日早上重新与一度失踪的洛杉矶级潜艇圣胡安号取得联络,并确定潜艇并无出现重大问题。潜艇上的无线电通讯系统可能出现故障,才引发这宗事故。据美国哥伦比亚广播公司(CBS)报道,事发时,一支航空母舰战斗群和三艘潜艇正在佛州对面100哩的海域,进行演习,圣胡安号扮演敌军潜艇的角色。突然,有人见在海上闪出红光。传统上,这是潜艇发出求救讯号的方式。 8 `( p2 E2 S1 n. \7 L8 z" F% i : C& H, Z/ ]) F+ n& O 航空母舰战斗群上的指挥官马上尝试与三艘潜艇联络,两艘作出响应,但圣胡安号却失去踪影。在美国东岸时间14日凌晨3时半,位于维珍尼亚州的诺福克潜艇中心发出一段罕有的重要讯息:潜艇沉没!由于事态严重,国防部长罗伯特.盖茨也接获通知,军方高层整晚留意事态发展。海军也开始派人通知圣胡安号上140名官兵的家人。2 Y* Z- h& ^8 n8 \' Q
到清晨5时许,控制中心才与圣胡安号再次取得联络,各方都松一口气。由13日晚7时至翌晨5时,圣胡安号与外界失去联络十小时。派驻艇上的军官表示,所有人都安然无恙,根本不知道发生了这件事。当局正调查引致这宗事故的原因,并安排于15日与其中三十名军人家眷见面,向他们作出解释,保证圣胡安号运作正常和安全。美国对上一次发生严重的潜艇事故是39年前,即1968年,潜艇蝎子号在美国东北部对开海域沉没。1 _: V7 A, R2 _
* ?+ l7 M9 f1 ]Navy Briefly Loses Contact With Sub Off Florida Coast 9 x$ Y! B ?/ V# E' T/ l1 m8 r7 X1 y+ Y/ @+ v# Q
Rescue Effort Under Way When Communications Regained / E h( J3 k( K2 L5 R' N; k8 `. r, [' v
NORFOLK, Va. -- The Navy said it lost communication with a submarine off the Florida coast for several hours Tuesday night and began rescue efforts before communications were re-established early Wednesday. $ s0 j2 ], s7 Z1 W! m % f! O/ A5 F: T9 OThe Naval Submarine Force said in a statement that there were no problems with the USS San Juan, a Los Angeles class submarine is based in Groton, Conn.. L3 ^" S* \$ ?7 [0 J
# Z1 V% U/ m; q6 p* |8 n) hThe communication lag on Tuesday evening was not explained, and Navy spokesman Phil McGuinn said the incident remains under investigation. - k1 z/ X( N( X2 S2 d" W ~+ l$ `9 p" F- s 8 W; w9 a* d3 \8 _$ r$ u5 K: QMcGuinn said units of the USS Enterprise Carrier Strike Group saw a red flare in the vicinity of the missing submarine Tuesday night and activated missing submarine procedures. # m6 S; O3 g- w5 U1 m* V, V& e0 P! p! q) E7 L
Because the Navy maintained communications with two other subs in the area and observers spotted the signal flare, commanders believed the San Juan had gone down.3 R% z0 s* w/ E P/ g1 w
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They began search-and-rescue missions, alerted the International Submarine Escape and Rescue Liaison Office and notified crew members’ families about the possibility of a lost submarine, officials said. , T5 Q6 J3 ~7 f0 w) x , W3 e! D7 o0 k# ?' V) \"We had a false alarm," Lt. Cmdr. Chris Loundermon, public affairs officer at submarine force headquarters in Norfolk, told Navy Times. "We're investigating the details of what happened." ' l7 Q" R; [5 p3 B* e: K . {7 R3 N2 e r: BThe initial reports went to the top of the chain of command: Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Mullen and Defense Secretary Robert Gates were notified. & R, A, E9 g2 h, d 0 |! F6 e% a9 C6 F/ b+ H7 n[ 本帖最后由 日月光 于 2007-3-15 09:22 编辑 ]