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。2 l0 Y2 @$ ~* R. p) r. O9 [4 p
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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。( @3 ?1 z4 R9 ~$ d& Q
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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。* Z( X* \ T: K5 V8 s# z/ W! 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。 2 b/ }- l+ |0 U# M4 z+ K3 L : t! b7 o+ j. `9 n- ~Navy Briefly Loses Contact With Sub Off Florida Coast% }6 K) j- O+ j# Q4 z- ?
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Rescue Effort Under Way When Communications Regained7 u3 P2 D/ u7 E: A; x5 V$ I. a; ^8 n
6 e/ h6 [5 r8 q1 ^2 y- FNORFOLK, 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./ [) V, X2 I, O
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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. & o5 }8 w- [' Z2 L3 H 8 w% ]. T, Y$ { J4 G8 E+ ^" @The communication lag on Tuesday evening was not explained, and Navy spokesman Phil McGuinn said the incident remains under investigation. r) J) i$ F4 e4 c ( Q+ U* o9 Q" Q9 _% {- s1 WMcGuinn 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. + E, ?. T( B, H8 q8 d8 A ( L; J& v0 Z+ ]: |& pBecause 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. . V1 l) P8 n8 F1 b/ C 3 V( ?' H( H# p( g0 i. q% o0 eThey 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. ! q4 |! K- F. W, X4 |/ m5 J 7 s3 m! ^: D: R6 o% q"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."4 K( W" W5 }/ \& R0 T$ N9 p4 g
2 ]6 k! _( X7 X0 u% z% |0 {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. ( o3 B. y) [+ n( m. ~ ' f0 m% e, F, W# R$ V; i; B! o3 e ^[ 本帖最后由 日月光 于 2007-3-15 09:22 编辑 ]