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。 # u& A2 e- D( s5 x$ p; P8 i2 W8 F5 v+ V: |8 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。 % v& \" I# c6 n9 R. p. N+ h+ A% 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。! c& g4 W; d$ E( ] u5 f8 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。 / M4 h7 ^( m/ ~) `6 o* Q- [ 2 P8 S5 k |. @1 fNavy Briefly Loses Contact With Sub Off Florida Coast 8 c; y: a+ p" x; ?0 A: i) p' Q% g4 V% S: M: E: x9 n
Rescue Effort Under Way When Communications Regained & y9 d4 j2 |7 }6 D9 t* l$ M0 F- I 6 H1 S$ O6 k$ H. NNORFOLK, 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. & x9 W1 [' W8 D8 V/ F. }* v' A. S6 p7 K6 t5 g% i( S( s
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.7 ]( p* u- q" a8 H1 H8 p4 R
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The communication lag on Tuesday evening was not explained, and Navy spokesman Phil McGuinn said the incident remains under investigation. $ ]- I1 z, v5 c+ J7 j, z, q+ O2 ?0 w . t) j4 {; S6 _4 {3 s' T7 @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. / D2 b9 Y! i4 d5 \1 [1 _' j: V/ a! V) }& M& F* N5 e
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. 8 q) k$ W7 a- j9 S% R, \ u4 v/ u& j8 e& s. a% a/ CThey 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./ m/ r: V6 f& s1 S4 Z% J( A
p( Q) w7 c: t% J% Z' C; O1 O) }" f% m"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.": a: ]8 G, Y' W' Q0 Z
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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.7 f/ a% @1 i1 h
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 91