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。 ! Y: X4 M7 Y/ t# c7 [ ! T/ m) p% h( H7 S+ \3 M 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。( ~' i) b' [2 r4 y% D0 i1 C
9 U- I' }0 l4 h* i; \; n
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。# S" |' \1 O+ D5 R; `# [+ 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。 % y3 s/ K: v1 {6 E9 J: C $ ~% Y4 Z+ {& \2 rNavy Briefly Loses Contact With Sub Off Florida Coast, Q/ z% D2 C9 R
. F+ t9 P6 r. ?" x( J% l' v
Rescue Effort Under Way When Communications Regained 2 w; [3 F3 X# P3 }3 [4 u: f8 p5 ?! n; q: _) x$ K1 Q
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.2 f5 C0 `- V, ~" L
n5 w; i" ^9 ?. PThe 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.) F5 Y$ q1 T+ R8 X& `8 `+ l# T
4 x- T% \/ S( G- RThe communication lag on Tuesday evening was not explained, and Navy spokesman Phil McGuinn said the incident remains under investigation.9 X4 A& Q/ @7 Y4 Q
( s8 A/ J7 s0 U- t
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 D) f& \9 S/ i8 s% R) j: u$ }3 [$ k0 M: N4 {, x) N5 G* k
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. , {$ N( N$ o2 C' F$ ~* T4 T: Z ( X/ C) J: x7 h6 P |. X+ e# @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. : H& f% y5 N$ L2 m8 n , ]$ F7 c+ Y6 G- \" q: [: N3 B: 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." ; z! M% h( F" [) P! Q ; I1 T `6 ^ m$ R/ Y, NThe 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.& Q0 f# s! v( c- Q, P! f _; w
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 126