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。 , k7 g h8 b+ c0 k1 \: D1 j) S! x5 k- S7 E l
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 [1 L5 a W" B4 k 3 t1 F4 k' x- 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。 4 H2 p8 u. d8 v* h/ O" Z2 l1 J, l 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。 2 l+ b+ `, I, d2 {1 a7 g8 p% Q) Z
Navy Briefly Loses Contact With Sub Off Florida Coast7 ^7 A( @* o. ?, D2 V% h) d
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Rescue Effort Under Way When Communications Regained! r7 F1 p+ I+ }, e6 ~) J6 b
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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 r5 a5 A8 n6 S0 r 4 _3 `0 S: ]5 }. t3 A$ Y$ XThe 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. 1 O! `; `8 f! N: m- s; y4 X) u4 B- K9 t
The communication lag on Tuesday evening was not explained, and Navy spokesman Phil McGuinn said the incident remains under investigation. O- g7 {! ?9 N6 g7 J/ A# o : v; {4 r& ~6 w: k% l7 }% }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. : O8 o0 Y: _4 @7 S X% V9 y * I# x! L3 ]2 w3 @- A, L+ cBecause 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.6 h; G- H$ Z" j; e$ R
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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.# Z. z- ?9 d3 I
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"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."$ }5 @6 E2 C3 z! s4 s: V) }
& Z4 C$ B _- K* z! ^. hThe 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. 8 p7 `6 |* @" m- l6 A* t: p2 b7 u6 B7 m9 B0 W$ G* |
[ 本帖最后由 日月光 于 2007-3-15 09:22 编辑 ]