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。 " i, N' T- X2 ~ H! }* X, T9 V7 q& ~- r i8 @' g
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。% O+ e) f6 U5 D1 S7 z; ~6 C
g7 C! b _! v 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。 / j1 A% D8 Q: J 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。% Q P0 F5 n! j/ K4 z3 v! v" I
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Navy Briefly Loses Contact With Sub Off Florida Coast ) Y0 ]7 c* q8 W, B0 h# C1 T , u* E" ^! i4 FRescue Effort Under Way When Communications Regained 3 v! h. B8 p$ C* k; ]6 {) q5 s4 C9 l6 z N' R$ c4 J
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.* ~% L$ Q4 H. {0 e3 t8 [' }
j1 s* M; P6 cThe 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. 8 p: ^8 K. r0 t9 v3 n# a0 x2 L* D! u* F9 J5 ~4 A( z5 c% d: ] ~5 R
The communication lag on Tuesday evening was not explained, and Navy spokesman Phil McGuinn said the incident remains under investigation.9 U/ l6 O7 A! G4 V3 H( `% i4 I
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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. ! q c& B A3 D4 M. I- m 1 W) j' r d0 i- z% E7 uBecause 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 [0 j9 i# b& g' x O" C% P v4 c8 o+ a! r5 n
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. 2 S* p6 z. X; L+ }4 ~2 W3 D9 m1 t2 H; ?
"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."# i1 U2 f- n* @* |& d* Y
8 _' ~: Y) b$ EThe 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. $ Q4 d# R+ _4 a) a% L+ D8 P: T & G+ V. p* L$ h5 r[ 本帖最后由 日月光 于 2007-3-15 09:22 编辑 ]