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。 E8 a3 K3 k3 q- \+ F- u$ j7 w2 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。 : \) B8 u0 i8 B! N) M3 U / @1 b- t8 {% e% @ 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。9 b& @3 |; ]5 ?8 l, 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。 : D% D, r& p/ y3 j ' h+ V# C' |, L' |8 [# sNavy Briefly Loses Contact With Sub Off Florida Coast B$ Z* P2 P1 O( I& \
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Rescue Effort Under Way When Communications Regained* G$ q& j4 z- A% Q
[, u1 b4 ~9 X& ?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.# n( T s- A0 U0 `6 y
: ?" S0 b* _/ b7 a$ Y' j& h, rThe 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. 7 N/ z0 b3 P F- t8 H. [/ V! M7 o; `+ u ~6 N
The communication lag on Tuesday evening was not explained, and Navy spokesman Phil McGuinn said the incident remains under investigation.4 t7 O6 Y! O( y8 A) \
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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. 9 W; j; O8 O9 s* ^( c$ U5 C) {1 y1 O1 L' f: J- K r
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. }+ m8 Q1 P# G- x2 v$ `& r5 h: U+ a
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. 7 w% I1 ~* S: R/ K+ C8 Z& N/ p. W! G
"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." ! ]- p9 V8 b, J5 b4 j3 U# m1 d3 s5 {9 k
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. # \3 N& g! v4 A6 M+ [0 G5 n% } `& A" T8 j2 d1 x7 ~
[ 本帖最后由 日月光 于 2007-3-15 09:22 编辑 ]