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Key Question: Can Europe Even Afford It?

关键问题:首先欧洲负担得起吗?

Ever since the guns fell silent in 1945, Europe has always been in third place in the global arms race.

自从炮火声自1945年停止后,欧洲一直在全球军备竟赛排名第三位。



FCAS is built around futuristic concepts: stealth configuration, long-range missiles and—most importantly—manned-unmanned teaming. Like a stealth queen, the fighter will be attended by a retinue of drones that will do much of the dirty work of fighting, scouting and taking the brunt of enemy fire. The United States is working on the same concept with its Loyal Wingman program and the XQ-58 drone, a mini-F-35 lookalike that will work with manned aircraft like a pack of hunting dogs and their master.

未来作战空中系统是围绕未来主义概念建立的:隐形、远程导弹以及最重要的一点,有人和无人驾驶协同作战。就像隐形王后,第六代战机将与在战斗、侦察和掩护行动中专干脏活累活的无人机队伍协同作战。美国正在致力于同样的概念,即忠诚僚机计划和XQ-58无人机,这是一个看起来像迷你F35的无人机,将与有人驾驶的战机组队,就像一群猎狗和它们的主人。

Not to be outdone by its Continental cousins from whom it is separating, Britain is developing its own sixth-generation fighter. The laser-armed Tempest is envisioned entering service around 2035.

英国不想被它正在脱离的欧洲大陆老表超越,正在开发自己的第六代战机。装备了激光的“暴风雨”战机预计大概在2035年服役。

These advanced jets may have some advanced weapons. European defense firm MBDA unveiled some advanced missile concepts. Swarms of aircraft-launched gliders that can overwhelm a target fifty miles away, while the manned aircraft safely stand off from the fray. Stealthy, low-flying missiles that would enemy bunkers. A supersonic missile that can take out enemy aircraft, ships and air defenses.

这些先进战机可能会配备一些先进武器。欧洲的防务公司MBDA(欧洲导弹集团)透露了一些先进导弹概念。机载滑翔蜂群导弹能摧毁目标于50英里之外,同时有人驾驶的战机安全地躲在远离战斗现场的地方。其携带的隐形、低空飞行导弹可以打击敌人的地堡,超音速导弹可以摧毁敌人的飞机、战舰和防空系统。



And with aging populations requiring more social services, and no more Soviet threat to unify them (though Putin’s Russia is doing its best), will the funding be there to support the development of an enormously expensive fighter like the FCAS all the way out to 2040? Does this make sense when there will inevitably be a U.S. competitor to the program? Even if America’s sixth-generation fighter turns out to be as big a boondoggle as the F-35, at least much of the cost will have been borne by American rather than European taxpayers.

随着人口老龄化需要更多的社会服务,同时又不再有苏联的威胁促使他们团结(尽管普京的俄罗斯在很努力地威胁),要支持未来作战空中系统这种极其昂贵的研发项目到2040年,资金会到位吗?美国也将不可避免地开展这样的项目,这在美国行得通吗?就算美国的第六代战机最后像F35一样烧钱,至少很多钱将由美国人负担,而不是欧洲纳税人。