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。 3 [1 z+ e, w: ~/ { 4 Y9 x9 I$ _! D# e7 g 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。 & f( G! u3 S2 E/ E 6 G' J$ w6 P' d1 s# r. z; B 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。: F) K3 Z% Y3 k' b) `
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。 8 `' E" }7 x! ?" _/ ?$ i( \0 k5 O# z6 q, j
Navy Briefly Loses Contact With Sub Off Florida Coast: q L" W) ~0 v9 }9 U0 P
& i, @( ^ T' B1 i: D4 IRescue Effort Under Way When Communications Regained ! r. Z7 p; b; b5 |+ L6 G" v; Y+ X2 s/ J+ K
NORFOLK, 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. & {% E2 Q! t A, Q$ P* `! M% v5 ?; `' K2 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.5 w+ s# i- Y" c3 _
. f+ Y' T, U/ q6 YThe communication lag on Tuesday evening was not explained, and Navy spokesman Phil McGuinn said the incident remains under investigation.7 k- L. h d3 R: ]
* E/ v& N9 ]6 }3 z/ [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.4 X+ g- W0 s0 c& o. j% n6 k; K
2 B9 j7 c2 L" [* P* ]* LBecause 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. 5 h8 i- r0 g: D7 ]! u y; d $ T, m' ~1 L ]+ tThey 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. * \8 V3 {( A1 r% e5 @* \ & D: M% T" c" f) P2 X' V"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 I8 I8 _0 }3 D' X ( [% T. w) h, \! I* y a; HThe 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.; \$ h9 m! d# p
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[ 本帖最后由 日月光 于 2007-3-15 09:22 编辑 ]