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。 + }8 q) |: L# v9 ]1 y9 O& y7 v K: _' E+ n; S
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。 - W+ R+ C9 y8 f4 N* o2 s% l, ~. t- ?$ q8 u
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。7 j% S F. H% N5 Q* h8 W
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。 9 n% e6 h4 }! r- E, s6 K- j9 _ 1 m, l: N1 l: l4 d4 j2 {- U cNavy Briefly Loses Contact With Sub Off Florida Coast . s+ T/ V" m: V1 T; r . Z* H( h8 r6 w( z. oRescue Effort Under Way When Communications Regained 7 B7 }% x u0 {9 u5 H2 k/ Q- X% n1 r
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. i/ S0 U" `1 r( |
4 j, v X' E; gThe 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. 8 x% j* P. E) t6 @8 G- \9 Y T0 y' |- F; A! UThe communication lag on Tuesday evening was not explained, and Navy spokesman Phil McGuinn said the incident remains under investigation. : N7 |5 r4 a ~" p) X ( Y( k' ~& J/ }4 I/ T+ c4 nMcGuinn 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.+ W$ @* I5 [ c E
6 k U% y2 T) Q+ cBecause 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. / T' Q' d6 V Q9 u5 G+ A& D+ @+ g+ n: _, W$ C; u0 g. Y
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. * _5 n0 X0 L9 _- Q) I1 }" S% T. `: p
"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." , g' z7 b/ `7 E& s; R8 ?0 G! N r+ V0 ?/ k: O9 [
The 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.9 B3 f+ R; {) Y. c" m
0 q: L( x# c$ T9 C* R9 z3 E
[ 本帖最后由 日月光 于 2007-3-15 09:22 编辑 ]