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。: F- k5 c# }3 X; j0 H
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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。 # a. ~7 @" f! Y) M 0 T9 u6 \ t3 ^. b2 ] 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。0 Z8 J, F" l4 J n2 O o$ p) a
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。 ( k8 V0 O2 @% s7 w8 ^! r c3 k; t7 A3 C/ Z
Navy Briefly Loses Contact With Sub Off Florida Coast& x8 c- H- f! I& E# U0 f) B
' w) n& Q- ^2 ? z6 [3 Q2 b- NRescue Effort Under Way When Communications Regained, \' F3 i1 R8 O" ?% B! G; e
@4 d! ?2 I- j7 `) e/ C( @# 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. ( t/ _$ I$ m6 c" h% `) D 1 m8 H2 K/ B( v# U' l0 ^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. 7 K$ g8 a3 N2 {* l3 N$ X% V( t) o$ r! v8 B/ e6 A( |
The communication lag on Tuesday evening was not explained, and Navy spokesman Phil McGuinn said the incident remains under investigation. # P5 Z1 l; m H+ R- ]1 p9 C; p5 u! b ' {% n! l/ V4 b+ L& L2 Z9 l7 l8 kMcGuinn 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.8 M7 C! b( x( g8 d; s T1 ]; \
s8 R7 W0 q: T; Q9 V& T$ }( K/ EBecause 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.* @; M& `$ s- S
: w* [4 d5 e6 C# q: u- PThey 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.% U& H, s2 Z9 x8 A5 G" p8 N9 R
8 }) u/ v1 j+ e& H: N( n1 ^"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." 7 k& L6 i: s# s9 r; x/ b/ M* E* Q; a( X
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. , t' E/ |$ z/ L6 f) m4 X4 p. l1 p8 B% a8 c) ?
[ 本帖最后由 日月光 于 2007-3-15 09:22 编辑 ]