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 W6 ?) Q& G+ P% Y3 q* m e& f" r; U& I. f* l6 X5 ~
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。4 `' j3 p+ X/ d0 N
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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。( _4 h) S+ G: `7 _7 x
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。* B& p+ m! O+ p& e& I
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Navy Briefly Loses Contact With Sub Off Florida Coast ) m7 q" y) @# F8 v; |6 r% e, ` 0 @+ [3 k/ ^- f3 _" GRescue Effort Under Way When Communications Regained( z" ^: \, l2 U4 k% b) |# y1 n
_9 K: Q* \" j: j- w- L3 m) ~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. / z+ ~0 A" a( @1 l8 R+ H7 R! [4 |7 g2 U! J5 r
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. 4 I! g" e% `6 b0 C" ^ . W& \6 g* Y) F3 VThe communication lag on Tuesday evening was not explained, and Navy spokesman Phil McGuinn said the incident remains under investigation.6 M, U# K' \5 i$ T. [3 L+ O
% F/ H1 Q0 e& G! E* lMcGuinn 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. 6 p4 P2 x% M/ F2 d( Z% v1 H0 |/ q8 O% p: h6 Y% W
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. C$ f3 w0 C% F3 o$ Z) a6 l$ G) N ! X: G. g3 |& MThey 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. ; P! N$ [( V$ R' Y ; q! @+ f! }7 A! u"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." 5 E4 {$ C4 M: h 0 Q) _" \, x, v% l9 Z( L! m: dThe 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. 0 d3 t3 u |6 Y2 V8 f& D+ r7 h2 c1 f* z) s9 H7 s+ t. o+ X
[ 本帖最后由 日月光 于 2007-3-15 09:22 编辑 ]