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。 , B6 a# h: ~9 O( P9 [4 D* I3 x' g. b# z1 N! j+ d
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。7 Z/ y, t$ M; }( {8 ]: u1 z
) l8 n" L, i/ M7 }7 C$ a0 P; {7 P U 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 h( `9 h. P i6 M# f0 }
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。 , S4 O% e! g) W/ p# G( T# @$ S: G/ t/ u: E' P0 o
Navy Briefly Loses Contact With Sub Off Florida Coast6 G* t) [9 [; v4 a
3 i! Z1 U3 X5 _$ zRescue Effort Under Way When Communications Regained. P+ t0 V8 f. P- Y6 @- X+ V
) a" j/ M: `: U& s% z* R/ T, R- P& CNORFOLK, 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. 4 X/ B! A! a7 _, W$ }6 H' l; @! Q3 J9 v( H* ^2 s4 y8 M
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. ; p9 J: ]7 s9 @! g' E: s/ j7 `/ u# Y. Y$ Q1 g5 [8 Y `
The communication lag on Tuesday evening was not explained, and Navy spokesman Phil McGuinn said the incident remains under investigation.. z5 Z- P5 N) M1 u3 g+ g' K- Q d% s
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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. , [ r1 S) Q6 D 6 F `3 O; [5 T9 a* A& HBecause 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 V0 q# F0 v9 q0 h- X
1 g4 b$ j' b" R1 o: BThey 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. : h2 z: E* B8 r. ^9 m: t1 U# l2 y9 M/ I% ~
"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."* _ h0 p/ N2 v* d+ Q
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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.+ {2 B0 u6 |, S8 h1 Q9 b
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