F-35战机让日本国防工业大失所望 [日本媒体]

F-35 fighter jet disappoints Japanesedefense industry

F-35战机让日本国防工业大失所望

Hopes dashed for bigger role in production,posing risk to domestic companies

扮演重要制造角色的希望破灭，日本企业面临风险



Japan's first F-35 stealth fighter jet wasunveiled at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' Minami Komaki Plant in AichiPrefecture on June 5.

日本首架F-35隐形战斗机于6月5日在位于爱知县的三菱重工小牧南工厂亮相。

TOKYO -- Japan's first F-35 stealth fighterjet, which underwent final assembly in the country, was unveiled at Mitsubishi HeavyIndustries' Minami Komaki Plant in Aichi Prefecture on June 5. But Japan'sexpectations for a larger role in the aircraft's production remain unfulfilled.

东京——日本首架F-35隐形战斗机在日本国内完成总装，于6月5日在位于爱知县的三菱重工小牧南工厂亮相。但是，日本并没有实现其在该型飞机的生产中扮演更重要角色的愿望。

The F-35 is the Air Self-Defense Force'snext-generation, mainstay fighter plane. The Defense Ministry plans to importfour assembled F-35s, but this time components manufactured abroad wereimported and assembled here. During the ministry's selection process for thenext mainstay fighter, the Japanese defense industry requested a role producingsome parts. But things are not going as planned.

F-35战机是空中自卫队的下一代主力战斗机。防卫省计划进口四架F-35整机，但这次是进口国外生产的零件然后在日本组装。在对下一代主力战机的选择过程中，日本防卫省要求部分零件在日本生产。但是事情并未按照计划进行。

Lockheed Martin developed the F-35 jointlywith partners from eight other countries. Japan was not involved. The aircrafthas high stealth capability that makes it difficult for radar to detect. TheASDF will deploy them to deal with North Korean provocations and foreignaircraft violating Japan's airspace.

洛马公司跟其他八个国家联合研制F-35。日本并未参与该项目。该型战斗机有着优异的隐身性能，雷达难以发现其行踪。日本空中自卫队将用该型飞机对抗北朝鲜的挑衅和侵犯日本领空的外国飞机。

Since the U.S. is already operating F-35s,joint operations will be easier. Expectations for the new model are highbecause Japan's fighter jets, including the F-2 jointly developed with theU.S., are aging.

由于美国已经装备了F-35，联合行动会更简单一些。日本对于这一新机型抱有极大期望，因为日本现在装备的战斗机，包括跟美国联合研制的F-2战斗机已经老旧。

It remains uncertain, however, whether theF-35 will give Japan's defense industry a boost since it may be involvedonly in final assembly.

然而，到现在为止，F-35究竟能否促进日本国防工业发展仍是未知数，因为日本仅参与最终组装。

Domestic parts suppliers threatened

国内零件生产商面临威胁

Japanese companies have benefited as partssuppliers for the F-2. These parts need to be replaced periodically, keepingthe industry busy. And being involved in fighter jet production enables theindustry to transfer acquired technologies to the civilian aircraft field.One such example is carbon fiber composite materials, the manufacturingtechnologies of which came from the F-2 and were subsequently used in theBoeing 787.

日本企业在为F-2生产零件的业务中获利。这些零件会被定期更换以保持企业的生产任务。参与战斗机制造让这些企业能够把掌握的技术转化到民用飞机制造领域。例如，源于F-2战斗机生产技术的碳纤维复合材料随后被用于制造波音787。

But delivery of new F-2s ended in 2011. Partsmakers that lost contracts because of this dropped out of the industry.

但是F-2战斗机在2011年就停产了。零件生产商因为合同终止退出了该工业领域。

Selection of the next mainstay fighter jetended in 2011 after fierce competition between three Western rivals. Inaddition to performance and price, the Defense Ministry took into accountwhether the manufacturer would allow Japanese makers to join the productionprocess, a concern intended to help prevent the domestic defense industry fromlosing competitiveness.

在三种西方战斗机进行了激烈的竞争后，下一代主力战机的竞标于2011年结束。除性能和价格外，防卫省还将外国制造商是否允许日本国内企业参与飞机生产纳入考虑范畴，此举是为了避免日本国防企业丧失竞争力。

Despite high expectations, the only roleJapan is presently slated to play for the F-35 is in assembly. There was a planto produce part of the fuselage in the country when the F-35 was chosen, but ithas virtually been abandoned, according to a defense industry source. In short,selecting the F-35 hardly benefits parts makers and reduces their role in theaircraft industry.

尽管期望很高，日本目前仅在F-35制造中负责组装。在F-35中标时曾有计划让日本生产部分机身，但是根据国防工业的消息，该计划已被废止。简言之，选择F-35很难让日本国内零件制造商获益，而且还减少了它们在飞机工业中扮演的角色。

The ministry is planning to purchase 42F-35s. Of them, four will be imported as finished products. The ministry willthen choose how to further replace the aging SDF fleet, but the F-35 is not alock because Boeing, which lost the F-35 bid to Lockheed Martin, is looking tomake a comeback.

防卫省计划购买42架F-35，其中四架将以整机形式从国外进口。防卫省之后会选择如何替换已经老旧的空自战机，但是F-35并不是，因为在F-35竞标中败给洛马公司的波音公司正在寻找机会卷土重来。

Parts manufacturers for aircraft withadvanced stealth capabilities require high-level security clearance, which maketechnology transfers difficult. As such, Japanese defense businesses need toconsider whether they could recover their investment by marginally supportingonly 42 jets.

为隐形战斗机生产零件的供应商要求高级别保密措施，这让技术转让非常困难。所以，日本国防工业需要考虑如果仅为42架战斗机提供部分零件的话能否收回投资。

Demand for defense equipment has helpednurture the domestic aerospace industry after World War II. After theseven-year hiatus imposed by the Allies, the industry began acquiringtechnologies for maintenance and repair of U.S. military aircraft and forproduction of SDF aircraft parts.

国防设备订单在二战后养育了日本国内航空工业。在被盟军叫停7年之后，日本航空工业开始获得技术以保养和维修美国战斗机，并为空中自卫队生产飞机零件。

As appreciation for Japanese technologicalprowess rose, so did the ratio of Japanese-made parts in Boeing civilianaircraft. Now these parts account for 35% of each Boeing 787, including themain wings. The defense sector accounts for only around 20% of aircraftproduction.

随着对日本技术水平认可度的上升，波音民用飞机的日本零件制造率也在上升。现在每架波音787飞机，包括主机翼在内35%的零件都是日本生产。国防订单仅占航空制造订单总数的20%。

Japan's aircraft industry is experiencing aleveling-off. It is heavily dependent on Boeing, but orders from the companyare falling. Hopes for the Mitsubishi Regional Jet -- the first domesticallymade aircraft in half a century -- were high, but its development has beenrepeatedly delayed.

日本的航空工业正在经历水平下滑。航空工业严重依赖波音，但是来自波音的订单正在减少。对于三菱支线飞机——半个世纪以来首款日本国产飞机——的期望很高，但是该型飞机的开发计划一直在推迟。

Aerospace companies have long dreamed oftransforming from parts suppliers into aircraft manufacturers. But the dreamhas yet to materialize.

航空企业一直以来都梦想着从零件供应商升级成飞机制造商。但是这一梦想仍未实现。

Defense aircraft won't be enough to salvagethe aerospace industry. If there is little prospect for manufacturing newaircraft, the industry should try become better at maintenance of engines andother parts, leaving bold ideas behind as they strive to stay relevant.

国防订单不足以挽救日本航空工业。如果在制造新飞机方面看不到希望，日本航空工业应该尝试提升发动机和其他零件维护能力，努力为了保持业内关联性而放弃大胆的想法。

(Nikkei)

（日经）