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' ?; l. u2 A# j/ k. V+ v# [) |
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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。 $ F3 t) G" R4 z$ N+ Z2 {; ~ & }" s+ [( [% j% P' h 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。7 @ `. G8 o& g2 S# e
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。+ e! S7 X$ o3 Y' B Z
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Navy Briefly Loses Contact With Sub Off Florida Coast) @! D( D0 s, E2 a/ D
' R' V2 |: ]7 Q! Z4 U5 O% m# H1 nRescue Effort Under Way When Communications Regained5 @( T0 f- `4 a# `# _! q
1 G8 ]' ^# k7 j, Y4 {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.! G& T* {" n7 {& O; r/ x
8 W1 v3 g6 Y+ nThe 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. " I6 D, J% L# h; e3 L: U* a& h3 o) ?! N2 ^. F
The communication lag on Tuesday evening was not explained, and Navy spokesman Phil McGuinn said the incident remains under investigation.* m: Q# ^6 c3 m. ]$ }
$ K* |- ^7 s4 S! X) IMcGuinn 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." L {6 N# b ^' j6 B5 \
' B% v7 L& e* RBecause 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 c7 j+ \8 r+ @: r9 m7 m9 I
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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.1 Y. j4 {+ b/ ^" y5 v
. V1 C6 \( J6 Z"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."/ u% W! m1 X! @: u6 N2 W* \
. H- b0 Z$ z3 }; xThe 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.: X5 y6 f! p% W8 m T" d
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[ 本帖最后由 日月光 于 2007-3-15 09:22 编辑 ]