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。2 I7 D6 Q2 M" T0 X
) j1 u* |6 f1 {& v2 Z1 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。1 G/ }* o \2 T9 S1 O+ h) t
% B8 b. \; j8 r! ^+ g3 [ 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。 3 i) a" [4 ^& e7 G 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 h& f, G! M b: ?" [" ~, x4 n' F! Y+ |* W4 I+ C2 V& _; [0 C% n
Navy Briefly Loses Contact With Sub Off Florida Coast 2 U; u" V- W4 L! p" p! n& K* O! d3 s! e) l; l& d% t+ `
Rescue Effort Under Way When Communications Regained . E; L5 r, O6 |8 u! v/ q& W+ _8 s# t6 L% i9 w7 s8 v) Y) L
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.. B: r, Z: A1 w' N' k
1 ]! Z+ j( V- h0 l f: v8 u- LThe 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. & w9 W5 y3 _/ n/ |2 ]- G1 x% o" G7 ^9 z
The communication lag on Tuesday evening was not explained, and Navy spokesman Phil McGuinn said the incident remains under investigation. 3 F- A; y( C0 _7 O, ~9 z$ i2 z8 P6 L. ]5 G$ \8 r4 `: r
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.8 Q, ~: C7 A( s' X& l9 S4 [* R
8 n0 I6 l2 `2 w% E5 s7 ~; k5 d M* tBecause 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. 4 s( ]# B' K- n& O6 E- T! ?" | $ m! \6 m' `( ~% f' K1 z* AThey 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. 9 b4 f) `0 H/ m- B- n % Q' [ H5 [7 F/ `. Q9 r' U* W"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." - P# x2 X, t0 Q% o6 O8 [( y, O - j9 k9 l8 F/ q- K9 u* ~$ zThe 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." l7 O+ C6 c! u2 |& c
图片附件: [「圣胡安」号潜艇] San Juan.jpg (2007-3-15 09:20, 32.65 KB) / 下载次数 131