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。0 y% O0 x4 u. p% J0 X
2 Y; b. i1 d8 Y4 s( C9 ~
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。# Z4 t- f! r0 g, X
9 ?; @+ |3 @0 c" v* S) t3 G; Z
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。 & ^+ Y4 n/ v6 B9 [! \) `( ? 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。4 z ]; {1 p' `( e {% H
0 `- b1 y4 x: C( L; L0 l( XNavy Briefly Loses Contact With Sub Off Florida Coast% b% I/ ^* W* J
$ T4 U: f$ s/ ?( {) N* K; Y
Rescue Effort Under Way When Communications Regained $ l; z b, R0 C; u) s: M( O- b H4 V1 c/ \% Q
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. 3 u* J6 U5 }# G; u2 a9 N5 h c# ?* J9 ~% s: g4 \
The 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.. W' u4 l9 {( n& u6 |* U* b
( A* A5 S9 U y
The communication lag on Tuesday evening was not explained, and Navy spokesman Phil McGuinn said the incident remains under investigation." U4 G( T9 v) m% K7 O2 q; x
5 t# ]1 m, w, f% E: l( i
McGuinn 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. ) O( @9 Z* U; ~' S9 |3 R3 q 0 W9 ?' e. r1 K) O* \0 wBecause 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.' C! E! S. T: Z! C/ h# g3 R
/ C8 ^5 B) H$ HThey 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.) r. S! l% ]* E3 n2 _- n L
/ F" j' M3 F: D
"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." ! F" `, l4 h- h- B) } , T) Y$ t- D% \8 lThe 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. + c$ |+ s& @" }) ^ 3 }1 v1 D) |# v4 }. {# f: e2 I% Z[ 本帖最后由 日月光 于 2007-3-15 09:22 编辑 ]