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。4 M+ ?/ E* _- z
1 N' h+ H, j5 A+ Z2 P; M6 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。 ' R1 Q: y9 l5 \: |+ y. h ; ?. ^; D1 i1 _) @( T- k 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。 ; o) O" T% l N! X0 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。( r) j6 N: V; a# r4 m' a- N) ~9 t
: [' n: E0 R1 y( X& ~Navy Briefly Loses Contact With Sub Off Florida Coast0 K- [$ W8 z7 j
# [, h' \7 [& k" r# @; Y
Rescue Effort Under Way When Communications Regained- d, r5 G& P4 k7 ~% g7 Y' s
( ?" h0 Y1 P5 M: ^/ {, d- uNORFOLK, 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.: c, I% H5 ?; ~% ?5 I% j. }0 }
7 a8 K; }8 Z' W; Z; C* Y% J- J2 lThe 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. 1 Z" ^; k7 @/ a" _( u$ X9 E( b: o
The communication lag on Tuesday evening was not explained, and Navy spokesman Phil McGuinn said the incident remains under investigation.2 E, v1 P- Z I% m& o d5 Y& r: A
/ e& |8 N/ K+ _! E
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 g1 p% N$ A2 o0 p
! ^$ `( Q0 h. {) Y
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. 7 P- u, M5 s% k$ C( [# r& \3 h) m( I" d8 I9 Q2 _1 {3 f$ j; D' l8 U+ i
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. 1 }, d6 I2 C& V! E* `% H 2 T1 a3 f. |) e& a0 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." % W5 i! H V* E, g3 k2 E J, e. z6 ]4 [8 |5 q& f
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. 7 c+ g. g5 u( L! e6 x$ Z, X 2 ~" _+ ?" Z$ b* ~[ 本帖最后由 日月光 于 2007-3-15 09:22 编辑 ]