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。 5 t3 M1 A- J8 w( e9 [5 Q) L - ^+ k5 i) s0 E1 Z# y 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。 ' i7 ~4 q9 w6 w: t! r; C& H6 u2 i/ [9 S8 j
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 L2 T5 n/ p* q( E( \5 c
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。 & o; @- f C U& ]9 J- [+ S9 }, F3 `7 R, ^
Navy Briefly Loses Contact With Sub Off Florida Coast# p5 C/ {" M7 l3 O! _7 [5 j
3 R! C; `/ y( }* ?* y" w' eRescue Effort Under Way When Communications Regained6 o% K/ a: Z0 X9 k% h! N G0 e$ W7 i
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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. 7 w0 Z: D9 G3 B/ z$ K+ K9 V$ h8 S- L
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 y: f- K2 z: N5 _+ w1 B! O8 Q8 n/ [. J7 u( @ G: E
The communication lag on Tuesday evening was not explained, and Navy spokesman Phil McGuinn said the incident remains under investigation.. i6 D+ o8 E1 ]$ H9 `( z
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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. g9 L% E$ J9 W9 ~% D
; f l: E8 z2 K4 {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. - ?5 T1 M6 X' l" H3 @/ W, o ( I+ e) P, @3 F2 M2 F! c1 s- Z1 FThey 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. - K& G/ T) Q) ?. G% _1 W 4 Y7 X) i/ ~, R1 @* C" `' e"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."& x0 {6 w( \0 j H9 H& r3 P, D& R" n
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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.5 [1 F8 Y* U( D* b+ p8 @' 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 91