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。9 I, X+ f( H: V1 r& Y5 i% x; L
, m6 ~# [) O) J3 _0 [ 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。 # s9 o. Y5 Z1 n1 Q. W, t N; @, _ R0 _# g3 z1 |) |
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。( x* ]# N4 a, i: d4 K/ D# i
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。 + W8 [: Y0 g2 o7 `, R. | / A# E% r# f- N: BNavy Briefly Loses Contact With Sub Off Florida Coast 8 q. |( ^, b/ y+ j" E. i8 C4 ?1 t, u9 g# p0 K/ {* t# ~
Rescue Effort Under Way When Communications Regained % l$ K4 Z5 g) T : U1 @& Z% x) ^0 z/ Q- XNORFOLK, 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.' p! i4 l) I" z+ q: i& x0 `
: q3 U9 ^5 ]- \. s+ rThe 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. % t+ V4 U5 ^$ c( Y* i" | ! |/ L* \7 v. O. G, v; A2 wThe communication lag on Tuesday evening was not explained, and Navy spokesman Phil McGuinn said the incident remains under investigation. T+ M+ ^ l0 }6 N$ O% ~) q4 K n$ v1 ]8 x$ R X' E( i
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.6 B9 m9 b$ N4 G }( h- K0 ~
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Because 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. ' E# Z( v+ n3 @4 M& h7 P8 N 5 X' E8 S; r$ [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.0 A4 `' u" z! `
; }4 C1 M+ ^+ f- ^1 R4 c, {"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." , q# W7 q* |" j # W2 P8 D& B$ ?3 g Q' ?+ iThe 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., f1 S; A, D+ p9 D3 `% P0 {, m
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[ 本帖最后由 日月光 于 2007-3-15 09:22 编辑 ]