More details have emerged about the United Kingdom’s Tempest next-generation stealth fighter, being developed under the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP). While many specifics of the aircraft are still being decided by the three partner nations — the United Kingdom, Japan, and Italy — we now know there are plans to arm it with larger air-to-air missiles offering a longer range than those currently used by these countries.

關(guān)于英國“暴風(fēng)”下一代隱形戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)的更多細(xì)節(jié)已曝光，該戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)正在全球作戰(zhàn)空中計(jì)劃（GCAP）框架下開發(fā)。雖然這款戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)的許多具體細(xì)節(jié)仍在英國、日本和意大利這三個合作國之間決定，但目前已知的計(jì)劃是，未來將為其配備比這些國家目前使用的空對空導(dǎo)彈更大、更遠(yuǎn)程的導(dǎo)彈。

Published today, the House of Commons committee report on GCAP provides recommendations to the U.K. government. Of particular interest is the section outlining the capabilities of the Tempest, with the proviso that “the precise capabilities of the new aircraft remain to be determined.”

今天發(fā)布的英國下議院委員會關(guān)于全球作戰(zhàn)空中計(jì)劃（GCAP）報告向英國政府提出了建議。特別值得關(guān)注的是報告中概述的“暴風(fēng)”戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)的能力部分，但報告也指出，“新型戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)的具體能力尚待確定”。


Nevertheless, Richard Berthon, Director Future Combat Air at the U.K. Ministry of Defense, told the committee that the three partner nations have reached an agreement on overall system requirements. Berthon further noted that a “mismatch” around requirements “tends to be the thing that undermines international partnerships as they play out.”

盡管如此，英國國防部未來作戰(zhàn)空中項(xiàng)目主管理查德·伯松向委員會表示，三國合作方已就總體系統(tǒng)需求達(dá)成一致。伯松進(jìn)一步指出，需求上的“不匹配”通常是破壞國際合作伙伴關(guān)系的因素。

As to the key requirements for the Tempest, which will drive the design of the new aircraft, the Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton laid these out to the committee.

至于“暴風(fēng)”戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)的關(guān)鍵需求，這些需求將推動新型戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)的設(shè)計(jì)，皇家空軍參謀長理查德·奈頓空軍元帥向委員會闡明了這些要求。

Some of them are to be expected, including longer range, which is reflected in the large overall size of the fighter, at least in the concept artworks, models, and mockups that have appeared so far.

其中一些需求是可以預(yù)期的，包括更長的作戰(zhàn)半徑，這一點(diǎn)在戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)的大尺寸上得到了體現(xiàn)，至少在目前公開的概念圖、模型和樣機(jī)中可見。

Knighton also says that the Tempest will feature “improved stealth,” without providing more details about how that will be achieved, and also notes the central importance of data fusion. Indeed, fusing and integrating “the vast amount of information that will be available” to the aircraft will be the main difference between the Tempest and previous generations of combat aircraft, the report contends.

奈頓還表示：“暴風(fēng)”戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)將具備“改進(jìn)的隱身性”，但沒有透露具體如何實(shí)現(xiàn)，并指出數(shù)據(jù)融合具有至關(guān)重要的作用。事實(shí)上，報告認(rèn)為，將“大量可用信息進(jìn)行融合和整合”將是“暴風(fēng)”與前代戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)的主要區(qū)別。

Intriguingly, Knighton also said it was “absolutely” possible that an uncrewed version of the Tempest platform could be developed in the longer term.

有趣的是，奈頓還表示，長期來看，開發(fā)“暴風(fēng)”平臺的無人版本“完全”是可能的。

As to the larger and longer-range air-to-air missile, this will be carried as part of a bigger payload than offered by current combat aircraft.

至于更大、更遠(yuǎn)的空對空導(dǎo)彈，這將作為比現(xiàn)有戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)更大載荷的一部分進(jìn)行掛載。

In the past, statements about the U.K.’s Future Combat Air System (FCAS) program, a wide-ranging U.K. air combat initiative that includes the Tempest, have referenced next-generation weapons — as well as uncrewed platforms, networks and data sharing, and more. However, very few if any details have been provided about these weapons, making the reference to a large long-range air-to-air missile all the more interesting.

過去，關(guān)于英國未來空中作戰(zhàn)系統(tǒng)（FCAS）計(jì)劃的聲明中提到了下一代武器——以及無人平臺、網(wǎng)絡(luò)與數(shù)據(jù)共享等內(nèi)容，"暴風(fēng)"戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)就是其中的一部分。然而，對于這些武器的具體細(xì)節(jié)幾乎沒有透露，因此提到更大、更遠(yuǎn)程的空對空導(dǎo)彈顯得尤為引人注目。

Currently, the longest-range air-to-air missile available to the United Kingdom and Italy is the pan-European MBDA Meteor, which arms the Eurofighter Typhoon and will be integrated on the F-35.

目前，英國和意大利可用的射程最遠(yuǎn)的空對空導(dǎo)彈是泛歐MBDA流星導(dǎo)彈，該導(dǎo)彈裝備了臺風(fēng)戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)，并將被集成到F-35上。


The ramjet-powered Meteor was designed to have superior range and overall kinematic performance than the U.S.-made AIM-120 AMRAAM, which also arms the Typhoon and F-35.

搭載沖壓發(fā)動機(jī)的“流星”導(dǎo)彈旨在比美國制造的AIM-120 AMRAAM導(dǎo)彈具有更優(yōu)越的射程和整體動力學(xué)性能，后者同樣裝備了臺風(fēng)戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)和F-35。

Range claims for the Meteor differ widely and the actual figure is a closely guarded secret. However, the missile is generally assumed to be able to hit targets up to 130 miles away from the launch aircraft. In comparison, the AMRAAM, in its longer-range D-model form, is commonly assessed to have a range of around 100 miles. In practice, an air-to-air missile’s range is highly dependent on a wide number of factors, including the track of the target and the height and speed of the launch platform.

關(guān)于“流星”導(dǎo)彈的射程，相關(guān)說法差異較大，實(shí)際數(shù)據(jù)是一個嚴(yán)格保密的秘密。然而，普遍認(rèn)為該導(dǎo)彈能夠打擊距離發(fā)射平臺約130英里的目標(biāo)。相比之下，AIM-120 AMRAAM導(dǎo)彈在其遠(yuǎn)程D型版本中，通常被評估具有大約100英里的射程。實(shí)際上，空對空導(dǎo)彈的射程高度依賴于多個因素，包括目標(biāo)的軌跡、發(fā)射平臺的高度和速度等。

For its part, Japan currently also uses the AMRAAM, as well as the domestically developed Mitsubishi AAM-4, another medium-range air-to-air missile. This is reported to have a range of around 75 miles and, in its AAM-4B version, became the first air-to-air missile to feature an active electronically scanned array (AESA) seeker. It is carried by Japanese F-15J and Mitsubishi F-2 fighters but is too large to be accommodated internally in the F-35, which Japan also operates.

日本目前也使用AMRAAM導(dǎo)彈，以及自主研發(fā)的三菱AAM-4導(dǎo)彈，這是一種中程空對空導(dǎo)彈。據(jù)報道，其射程約為75英里，并且在AAM-4B版本中，成為首款配備主動電子掃描陣列（AESA）尋的器的空對空導(dǎo)彈。該導(dǎo)彈裝備在了日本的F-15J和三菱F-2戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)，但由于體積過大，無法在日本同樣操作的F-35戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)內(nèi)部掛載。

The Meteor, AMRAAM, and AAM-4 all utilize active radar homing, providing a ‘fire and forget’ capability, but midcourse upxes are required to squeeze the most out of the missile and make long-range engagements reliable.

“流星”、AMRAAM和AAM-4都采用了主動雷達(dá)制導(dǎo)，提供了“發(fā)射后自主制導(dǎo)”能力，但為了最大限度地發(fā)揮導(dǎo)彈性能并確保遠(yuǎn)程打擊的可靠性，仍需要在中途進(jìn)行更新。

The three nations in the GCAP program are far from the only ones pursuing programs for new long-range air-to-air weapons.

參與GCAP計(jì)劃的三國并不是唯一在推進(jìn)新型遠(yuǎn)程空對空武器項(xiàng)目的國家。

In recent months, the U.S. Navy has introduced, at least on a limited level, an air-launched version of the Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) under the AIM-174B designation. The range of this missile is classified but should be far in excess of that of the AIM-120D, probably at least double and perhaps even triple the range, against large targets. Meanwhile, a joint U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force program is jointly developing the AIM-260, a new air-to-air missile that is intended to offer far greater range than the current AMRAAMs, as well as other new and improved capabilities, but will importantly provide these in a missile with similar dimensions to the AIM-120.

近年來，美國海軍至少在有限范圍內(nèi)推出了標(biāo)準(zhǔn)導(dǎo)彈-6（SM-6）的空射版本，型號為AIM-174B。該導(dǎo)彈的射程是機(jī)密，但預(yù)計(jì)遠(yuǎn)超AIM-120D，可能至少是其兩倍，甚至三倍，特別是在對付大型目標(biāo)時。與此同時，美國海軍和空軍正在共同研發(fā)AIM-260，這是一種新的空對空導(dǎo)彈，旨在提供比現(xiàn)有AMRAAM更遠(yuǎn)的射程，以及其他新的和改進(jìn)的能力，但重要的是，它將保持與AIM-120類似的尺寸。

The West’s development of these missiles, and others, has been driven to a large extent by the appearance of very long-range air-to-air weapons in Russia and China.

西方國家對這些導(dǎo)彈以及其他導(dǎo)彈的研發(fā)，在很大程度上是受到俄羅斯和中國出現(xiàn)超遠(yuǎn)程空對空武器的鞭策。

According to data from the manufacturer, the Russian R-37M, at least in its export form, can defeat “some types” of aerial targets at a range of up to 124 miles. This likely refers to only larger, less agile, aircraft targets and is very much a ‘sales brochure figure,’ with all the caveats that entails. Nevertheless, the missile has proven to be a significant threat in the war in Ukraine.

根據(jù)制造商的數(shù)據(jù)，俄羅斯的R-37M導(dǎo)彈（至少是其出口版本）在射程達(dá)到124英里的情況下，可以擊敗“某些類型”的空中目標(biāo)。這很可能僅指較大、機(jī)動性較差的飛機(jī)目標(biāo)，并且這一數(shù)據(jù)很大程度上是“銷售手冊中的數(shù)字”，帶有所有相關(guān)的警告。然而，該導(dǎo)彈在烏克蘭戰(zhàn)爭中已被證明是一個重要威脅。

Meanwhile, the U.S. Air Force has publicly said that the emergence of the Chinese PL-15, a long-range air-to-air missile that may feature a dual-pulse rocket motor, was a key factor in the decision to start the AIM-260 program. The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) defense and security think tank determines that the PL-15 “out-ranges the U.S.-made AIM-120C/D AMRAAM series and has a comparable maximum range to the Meteor.”

與此同時，美國空軍公開表示，中國PL-15導(dǎo)彈的出現(xiàn)，作為一種可能配備雙脈沖火箭發(fā)動機(jī)的遠(yuǎn)程空對空導(dǎo)彈，是啟動AIM-260項(xiàng)目的關(guān)鍵因素。英國皇家聯(lián)合軍事研究所（RUSI）國防與安全智庫指出，PL-15“射程超越美國制造的AIM-120C/D AMRAAM系列，最大射程與‘流星’導(dǎo)彈相當(dāng)?！?/b>

The PL-15 is already in widespread service, and China is also working on further-reaching weapons, including the much bigger PL-17, a very long-range missile that may well be intended primarily to target high-value assets, like tankers and airborne early warning aircraft.

PL-15已經(jīng)在廣泛服役，中國也在研發(fā)射程更遠(yuǎn)的武器，包括體積更大的PL-17，這是一種超遠(yuǎn)程導(dǎo)彈，可能主要用于針對高價值目標(biāo)，如油輪和空中預(yù)警機(jī)。


TWZ recently reported on how the U.S. Air Force expects that, by 2050, there will be counter-air missiles that can hit aircraft at ranges as great as 1,000 miles — a huge advance in anti-access capabilities compared to the distances air defense missiles can reach today. Nevertheless, the prediction very clearly shows the direction of travel in this area of warfare.

TWZ最近報道了美國空軍的預(yù)期，到2050年，將出現(xiàn)能夠在1,000英里射程內(nèi)擊中飛機(jī)的反空導(dǎo)彈——相比今天空防導(dǎo)彈的射程，這將是反進(jìn)入能力的巨大進(jìn)步。然而，這一預(yù)測明確顯示了這一領(lǐng)域戰(zhàn)爭發(fā)展的方向。

One option to provide the Tempest with a larger longer-range air-to-air missile would be to acquire one from the United States, although the specific reference to the weapon being larger than existing ones would seem to rule out the AIM-260. On the other hand, other very long-range air-to-air missile programs are known to have been in the works in the United States.

為了為“暴風(fēng)”戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)配備更大射程的空對空導(dǎo)彈，一個選擇是從美國采購導(dǎo)彈，盡管提到的該武器比現(xiàn)有的導(dǎo)彈更大，這似乎排除了AIM-260的可能性。另一方面，已知美國也在研發(fā)其他超遠(yuǎn)程空對空導(dǎo)彈項(xiàng)目。

There are different ways of increasing the range of an air-to-air missile, but this process is always easier if the weapon can be made larger. Bigger dimensions can translate to a bigger engine, more fuel, multi-stage rocket motors, and air-breathing engines, like the ramjet used in the Meteor. Other range-extending options that the United States has examined include throttleable “multi-pulse solid rocket motors” and more exotic “propellants, grain configurations, cases, and liners,” all of which would also be able to ensure greater range — as well as higher speed — compared to existing weapons.

增加空對空導(dǎo)彈射程的方法有多種，但如果武器可以做得更大，這個過程通常會更容易。更大的尺寸可以轉(zhuǎn)化為更大的發(fā)動機(jī)、更多的燃料、多級火箭發(fā)動機(jī)和空氣呼吸式發(fā)動機(jī)，如“流星”導(dǎo)彈中使用的沖壓發(fā)動機(jī)。美國研究過的其他射程擴(kuò)展選項(xiàng)包括可調(diào)節(jié)的“多脈沖固體火箭發(fā)動機(jī)”和更為奇特的“推進(jìn)劑、推進(jìn)劑顆粒配置、外殼和襯里”，這些都能夠確保比現(xiàn)有武器更大的射程和更高的速度。
原創(chuàng)翻譯：龍騰網(wǎng) http://m.top-shui.cn 轉(zhuǎn)載請注明出處


It should also be noted that, in the not-too-distant past, the United Kingdom and Japan were involved in a joint effort to develop a possible new-generation air-to-air missile.

還應(yīng)注意的是，在不久前，英國和日本曾共同參與開發(fā)一款可能的下一代空對空導(dǎo)彈。

This bilateral cooperation saw the U.K. Ministry of Defense support Japan’s Joint New Air-to-Air Missile program, or JNAAM. Still highly secretive, the program is understood to have yielded a missile with a Japanese ‘front end’ in the form of an advanced radio-frequency seeker and a British ‘back end,’ retaining the original Meteor’s ramjet motor.

這一雙邊合作使得英國國防部支持了日本的聯(lián)合新型空對空導(dǎo)彈項(xiàng)目（JNAAM）。該項(xiàng)目仍高度保密，但據(jù)了解，它開發(fā)出了一款具有日本“前端”的導(dǎo)彈，采用先進(jìn)的射頻尋的器，并且保留了英國“后端”，即原“流星”導(dǎo)彈的沖壓發(fā)動機(jī)。


Douglas Barrie, the Senior Fellow for Military Aerospace at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) think-tank told TWZ that he believes that JNAAM was “successful as far as it went,” but that the program didn’t move beyond technical exploration.

國際戰(zhàn)略研究所（IISS）軍事航空高級研究員道格拉斯·巴里（Douglas Barrie）在接受TWZ采訪時表示，他認(rèn)為JNAAM項(xiàng)目“在其所涉及的范圍內(nèi)是成功的”，但該項(xiàng)目并未超出技術(shù)探索階段。

Barrie suggests that the JNAAM may have been discontinued on performance grounds, assessing that it was likely to have a top speed of below Mach 4, and more likely in the region of Mach 3.5, slower than the Meteor, which is thought to fly in excess of Mach 4.

巴里認(rèn)為，JNAAM可能因性能原因被終止，他評估該導(dǎo)彈的最高速度可能低于馬赫4，更可能在馬赫3.5左右，低于流星導(dǎo)彈，據(jù)認(rèn)為流星的飛行速度超過馬赫4。

In the meantime, the United Kingdom continued to work on a mid-life upxe for the Meteor, and this option remains under consideration. Nevertheless, a revamped Meteor might still not meet the performance requirements of the missile envisaged for Tempest, and it would also seem to be ruled out since it’s not understood to be larger than the current Meteor.

與此同時，英國繼續(xù)對流星導(dǎo)彈進(jìn)行中期升級，且這一選項(xiàng)仍在考慮之中。然而，經(jīng)過改進(jìn)的流星導(dǎo)彈仍可能無法滿足為暴風(fēng)計(jì)劃設(shè)想的導(dǎo)彈性能要求，并且由于流星導(dǎo)彈似乎并沒有比現(xiàn)有版本更大，因此這一選項(xiàng)也似乎被排除了。

As for the Meteor, while this is likely “good enough” to meet the current threats, there is a much bigger question about whether it will be able to match the overall performance of the projected threat by the late 2030s and early 2040s, by which time the Tempest should be established in service.

至于流星導(dǎo)彈，盡管它可能“足夠應(yīng)對”當(dāng)前的威脅，但更大的問題是，它是否能在2030年代末至2040年代初，暴風(fēng)計(jì)劃的戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)投入使用時，匹配預(yù)期的整體威脅表現(xiàn)。
原創(chuàng)翻譯：龍騰網(wǎng) http://m.top-shui.cn 轉(zhuǎn)載請注明出處


By this time, the Meteor design will be around 40 years old and new Chinese missiles will challenge Western fighters in the Pacific. Looking beyond Meteor, comments from U.K. defense officials “seem to indicate that they need something new” to arm the Tempest, “in terms of overall performance to meet the projected threat,” Barrie says.

巴里表示：“到那時，流星導(dǎo)彈的設(shè)計(jì)將有40年歷史，而新的中國導(dǎo)彈將挑戰(zhàn)西方戰(zhàn)機(jī)在太平洋地區(qū)的優(yōu)勢。展望未來，英國國防官員的言論“似乎表明他們需要一些新的武器”來裝備暴風(fēng)戰(zhàn)機(jī)，“在整體性能上，以應(yīng)對預(yù)期的威脅?！?/b>

Putting aside the PL-17, which Barrie assesses is optimized for a “very specific value set,” today’s PL-15 is already a very potent weapon and one that is “better by some margin than anything Russia has right now.”

拋開PL-17不談，巴里認(rèn)為其為“非常特定的目標(biāo)設(shè)計(jì)”，今天的PL-15已經(jīng)是一款非常強(qiáng)大的武器，并且“在某些方面要明顯優(yōu)于俄羅斯目前擁有的任何導(dǎo)彈?！?/b>


It’s likely to be joined before long by a missile currently dubbed PL-16, the design of which seems to have been driven by the requirement for the Chinese J-20 stealth fighter to accommodate six longer-range missiles internally (as opposed to the four PL-15s currently carried). The PL-16 will likely look fairly similar to the PL-15 but will be a compressed-carriage missile. Barrie expects that it will also feature “an active electronically scanned front end, Mach 5-plus fly-out, a lot of very capable onboard software, and be very resistant to jamming.”

PL-16 很可能很快就會出現(xiàn)，其設(shè)計(jì)似乎是為了滿足中國 J-20 隱形戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)能夠內(nèi)部容納六枚更長射程導(dǎo)彈的需求（與目前攜帶的四枚 PL-15 相比）。PL-16 可能與 PL-15 看起來相似，但將是一種壓縮式發(fā)射導(dǎo)彈。巴里預(yù)計(jì)，它將具有“主動電子掃描前端、超過 Mach 5 的飛行速度、非常強(qiáng)大的機(jī)載軟件，并且具有極強(qiáng)的抗干擾能力?！?/b>

Even more alarming for the West is the potential for the carriage of larger numbers of even bigger air-to-air missiles in the capacious weapons bay of the new Chinese combat aircraft that appeared last month, and which has been tentatively dubbed J-36. As we pointed out when it debuted, the large size of this aircraft suggests an overarching concern with long endurance and comparatively massive internal volume to accommodate a very large fuel load, as well as plentiful (large) weapons.

對于西方來說，更加令人擔(dān)憂的是，隨著新的中國戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)——暫定名為 J-36——的出現(xiàn)，這種戰(zhàn)機(jī)的寬敞武器艙可能能夠攜帶更多甚至更大尺寸的空對空導(dǎo)彈。正如我們在其首度亮相時指出的，這款戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)的巨大尺寸表明，它關(guān)注的是長時間的續(xù)航能力和相對龐大的內(nèi)部空間，以便容納非常大的燃料負(fù)載，并且擁有大量（大尺寸）武器。

At the same time, there remain questions about the viability of the GCAP and Tempest programs.

與此同時，GCAP 和 Tempest 計(jì)劃的可行性仍然存在疑問。

A concept demonstrator for the Tempest is planned to fly in 2027, with Richard Berthon telling the Committee that this won’t be a prototype but instead “a reasonably good representation of some of the characteristics that will play through into the GCAP platform itself.”

計(jì)劃中的 Tempest 概念驗(yàn)證機(jī)將在 2027 年進(jìn)行飛行，理查德·伯森（Richard Berthon）向委員會表示，這不會是原型機(jī)，而是“一個較為真實(shí)的展示，體現(xiàn)一些將會應(yīng)用于 GCAP 平臺的關(guān)鍵功能?！?/b>

Thereafter, the Tempest is expected to be in service by 2035, but there will be plenty more challenges, both technical and political. Even if it survives potential political hurdles, the process of creating an all-new fighter, especially one incorporating stealth technologies, dictates lengthy development times and high costs. The Tempest is also planned to be supported by advanced uncrewed aircraft, not to mention new-generation air-launched weapons, all of which bring their own elements of risk — and yet more costs.

之后，Tempest 預(yù)計(jì)將在 2035 年服役，但仍將面臨許多技術(shù)和政治挑戰(zhàn)。即使它能夠克服潛在的政治障礙，開發(fā)一款全新的戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)，尤其是包含隱身技術(shù)的戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)，仍需較長的開發(fā)時間和高昂的成本。Tempest 還計(jì)劃由先進(jìn)的無人駕駛飛行器支持，更不用說新一代空射武器，這些都帶來了自己的風(fēng)險因素——以及更多的成本。

Increasingly, the requirements for internal weapons carriage are a very major driver behind the size of the platform, when it comes to next-generation fighters. This appears to be the case for the J-36 and almost certainly applies to the crewed combat jet at the center of the U.S. Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) initiative. The Tempest, too, looks like it will be a notably big fighter, and it will almost certainly need to be, not least to accommodate the larger and longer-range air-to-air missiles that are being earmarked for it.

對于下一代戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)來說，內(nèi)部武器艙的需求越來越成為平臺尺寸的主要驅(qū)動因素。J-36 看起來是這種情況，幾乎可以肯定，美國空軍“下一代空中主導(dǎo)”計(jì)劃（NGAD）中核心的有人戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)也會如此。Tempest 看起來也將是一架相當(dāng)龐大的戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)，幾乎可以確定，它必須具備較大的尺寸，至少要能夠容納為其指定的更大和更遠(yuǎn)程的空對空導(dǎo)彈。