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。 5 o" p1 _$ U& _+ m- T- h3 p; A) E) L' R$ R) b
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。) s& Q" ]4 d: v8 \& e* v) C' L0 [
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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。 ( J& v, z7 ^+ T0 d 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, ?/ c$ [, ^: b+ l! R( O; J" _1 H- W& b) t$ s
Navy Briefly Loses Contact With Sub Off Florida Coast/ z$ p3 N% p4 F9 q
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Rescue Effort Under Way When Communications Regained: b( S2 R2 f( \# S4 @
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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. 3 W8 l9 B) L, I g, A7 z6 i; {1 { - c7 ~4 y P, q9 e( l) O0 fThe 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. L l3 K0 f& a
2 v- K% D; v: N& n- ]The communication lag on Tuesday evening was not explained, and Navy spokesman Phil McGuinn said the incident remains under investigation. 4 d U g# S7 D/ U9 N( \) Z, ~ # U. t) P4 t5 v; O1 ?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. . w: Z7 a* V' t9 e/ g- x6 { N+ a/ N' A% d, G
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. : X7 r4 b+ r1 ?$ Z; \4 n! x6 i/ D# ?- C
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. . i% |5 y/ m. v7 \ ; A9 U) p7 x4 x" w9 m3 v3 [) {"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." 4 F0 z4 k7 g g3 |, t8 g3 [: e& \" i" K& ?- [; N
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. / H) ~7 B; v1 c/ |* q6 y1 V8 u8 b: {1 a! O- y$ `
[ 本帖最后由 日月光 于 2007-3-15 09:22 编辑 ]