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。 ' K3 s! {" I. J/ o9 v' U8 U* V2 a4 J
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。 ! F6 ^ c* h2 N0 H3 [$ Z 5 e5 x* |4 s1 E4 i1 c6 \ 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。; g9 _' A! I) f" d+ o# E7 [
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。( x+ T& q7 }6 x: b/ `3 ]( y
( w, X- E; w4 U* a$ a
Navy Briefly Loses Contact With Sub Off Florida Coast 5 ^) ]/ H G1 e ( m" E6 s( L2 v0 x3 h3 `, y3 ~Rescue Effort Under Way When Communications Regained Y: e: y! l, z+ [6 R. W2 W
& e! o7 s7 y! s- k" k% Q {* f; tNORFOLK, 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.3 U1 F3 s# k4 r' z8 T
- y, R3 ?1 U y5 _# U) }
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. + N. O1 m7 r0 l* h0 a6 j, B& V \' k: Y
The communication lag on Tuesday evening was not explained, and Navy spokesman Phil McGuinn said the incident remains under investigation. $ l/ b4 L9 G2 i2 E% f, a $ l3 T' j' U) f( K- X' [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. # G/ Q& D0 Z3 g1 X/ l- d( ? T, j* H' I, u0 d& r7 D8 J8 @3 O
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.. `( v, g/ C1 S/ ~
. m: i& s! F/ P. W, @0 d& j
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. 9 u& Q% G" n0 r& A : M) X. D) q2 b: p! |" b/ w"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."9 a3 k( t1 t* O* ~
e' A4 X" j1 `6 fThe 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.. n0 [* ?& e% k" }( H1 ^9 h
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 92