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。 " k. ~1 `7 _# A b: u( e5 e2 p5 h4 a. D& E2 `/ @# \
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。1 J- I* _* h: b$ v; |; C: ~
( s/ b1 c( V& U6 Q+ H$ K3 T 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。3 H D! s f+ s- l1 E0 J3 h
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。 $ M: Y4 S( m" I. M7 d8 ~$ ]5 A9 L( M1 s7 b: c& m; D
Navy Briefly Loses Contact With Sub Off Florida Coast 6 r8 t. Q# M k: z% l& i% J+ b3 t! S q9 w' t; z& Y( O+ C
Rescue Effort Under Way When Communications Regained/ E/ I8 T+ e0 l a
' }0 B* H/ i! x+ JNORFOLK, 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. / A: u6 f- F$ o& I V) t4 d3 Q% o; R# `5 X! W+ A# V0 N4 m4 {
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. - O, L0 r$ @: @! q # w( N# D0 ^: R, S7 U; j! fThe communication lag on Tuesday evening was not explained, and Navy spokesman Phil McGuinn said the incident remains under investigation.; f& A, I9 D1 C
* w" m7 g6 R# a! n+ M
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 {3 X, g4 a8 |0 J8 X8 P
4 y) u! z3 L" ?+ \, x; J
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. - }, W+ N& H% i: @+ ?# S( w# U( b % ^% V& Y+ Y0 S6 o# C7 u" UThey 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.9 }. ^7 l" k5 {; T9 h* C
! j5 s7 H$ Y% [5 C
"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." ! x2 c, f+ d5 |: a$ Z1 N# @/ j
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 t# E/ T: A& ~
: O9 i' ]" u. z7 z3 L# }2 t a, w( X[ 本帖最后由 日月光 于 2007-3-15 09:22 编辑 ]