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。7 h6 L. f' }; {) C8 H/ ^
, l+ _0 T" J0 t% [9 J- ^ 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。 0 M7 d; U( C( T: g. t7 b/ m- S1 ~) W% Y, e) P
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。# n) f. y/ g, o$ n
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。 # v3 X3 [& Y s* U 6 {% E( `5 U: d8 x0 ]: C9 sNavy Briefly Loses Contact With Sub Off Florida Coast 3 u: Z2 i T5 B( Y0 @ 6 Q+ w! @/ O9 y3 ?, ^ f+ j% lRescue Effort Under Way When Communications Regained1 S) w; e4 b/ {! F
+ C. W" @$ B, L% s% j, q) m8 r' aNORFOLK, 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. - j" Z* c& n0 `% B: J Y- J7 d A7 k
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.3 @3 V7 ]: z8 F2 p2 b/ P9 f7 o
" A/ V& f- ]. ~3 e8 `The communication lag on Tuesday evening was not explained, and Navy spokesman Phil McGuinn said the incident remains under investigation. ( b( e# x: U! ?! i( c 9 |# O: u' [. E: c/ O' CMcGuinn 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 O/ Y7 R. `# e) `9 K, `2 u) s5 v
( U, n5 J1 n/ P+ oBecause 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.8 t2 u! ?1 V$ C. B7 ^ I8 q
0 A+ Y2 V; c# kThey 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. - Z& \$ Z4 F6 w; Z: ?# n, u% H& z( B0 G# |4 X
"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." 8 X4 p2 s- l. g) @2 R7 k' O3 a; s& P% [& U0 |" \
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. / u) k/ h) D. X4 |6 A" A9 Z: |" x% K' h D: p* u4 F- ]
[ 本帖最后由 日月光 于 2007-3-15 09:22 编辑 ]