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 @( N9 q/ s; e% E4 h6 `$ X/ |, W2 k. {2 s
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。 9 p/ f7 B b3 T9 D, O7 j* ?% n) p+ M) b& g) X
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。$ l9 w5 M) D- n9 j' V0 h) q0 [9 p2 Z
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! I* C( {/ K1 [, z" \3 e9 a( ?0 \" i% o" ~) r$ ], n
Navy Briefly Loses Contact With Sub Off Florida Coast, [) `/ M, ]" v: Z9 P b
4 W- F7 y6 v* }9 m$ k4 V% H
Rescue Effort Under Way When Communications Regained 4 } m# [, {# i9 G. ]5 r1 v8 D3 F* i1 ]2 W: N# g$ D F
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. * R \7 H3 e+ L1 {, a3 P7 @$ ? M7 I
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.! ?+ a8 p5 M8 J2 n
4 g& U& f# }+ e) [# g+ {. p- p
The communication lag on Tuesday evening was not explained, and Navy spokesman Phil McGuinn said the incident remains under investigation.) g( j! M Z- y" }1 {8 C# z: H
( Q6 t% f1 ~3 P% r9 e6 C
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./ g- A: n- n( w. [
5 P- T, V8 L% S+ R, `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. 0 M! s: K! R' `2 Q4 t) S }" s 4 |& y# H2 q% J4 x9 C+ B h( yThey 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. 0 A+ `8 `/ U- s / g( T4 W, S9 {; t t; o"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." 3 l& c! p2 J1 ], z- x: U! R- ? + @1 Q+ d$ }$ S# D$ [0 d; Q5 MThe 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.% g) \' G. {* J* T2 j* } m; | |
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