英国将推动激光武器开发 项目合同达4000万美元
Britain's Ministry of Defense (MOD) confirmed Sunday it is finalizing a contract worth almost 40 million US dollars to develop the country's first laser weapons for military use.
英国国防部上周日证实，将敲定一项价值近4000万美元的合同，用来研发英国第一代用于军事用途的激光武器。The contract with British firm MBDA UK will see the development of a Laser Directed Energy Weapon Capability Demonstrator,
这份与英国欧洲导弹集团签订的合同将推动激光定向能武器演示设备的发展。The project will assess innovative laser directed energy weapon technologies and approaches, culminating in a demonstration of the system in 2018/19, said the MOD.
英国国防部表示，该项目将评估研发激光定向能武器的技术和方法，并将演示设备定于2018年或者2019年交付使用。
Called Dragonfire, it sounds like something straight from science fiction movie such as Star Wars.
我们将它命名为'龙火'，这听起来就像是直接从科幻电影如星球大战里出来的东西。
What would be Britain's first laser weapon, was capable of being mounted on ships to shoot down enemy jets and missiles or even used by ground forces to destroy incoming mortar rounds.
它将是英国的第一代激光武器，能够安装在船上击落敌人的飞机和导弹，甚至让地面部队使用来摧毁来袭的迫击炮弹。It could replace conventional systems, offering a lower cost and more efficient alternative to current weapons.
它可以取代传统的武器系统，比起现阶段的武器，这类替代武器成本更低、打击效果更强。A laser only needs a power source to fire, whereas conventional weapons need ammunition or use missiles, which relatively expensive and take up space.
一个激光只需要一个电源来射击，相比之下，传统武器需要弹药或导弹，耗资相对昂贵且占用空间。The company behind the technology, MBDA UK, say the initiative will put Britain at the forefront of laser system technology.
负责开发该技术的欧洲导弹集团英国分公司表示，这项发明将使英国处在激光系统技术前沿。MBDA spokesman Dave Armstrong said: "Dragonfire will put the UK at the forefront of high energy laser systems, capitalizing on the experience of joint MoD/Industry working in the complex weapons environment."
欧洲导弹集团发言人戴维·阿姆斯特朗说道：“通过相互借鉴器国防部与本行业在复杂环境下工作的经验，'龙火'会使英国在高能激光系统方面走在前列。"Furthermore, it advances the UK towards a future product with significant export potential, as well as providing opportunities for partnerships with other nations' armed forces that have similar requirements."
“此外，这项发明不仅会给英国带来具有非常重大出口潜力的产品，也会给英国带来更多机会，让英国与同样有这方面需要的他国军队合作。”Nick Joad, from the MOD's Defense Science and Technology (Dstl) said the project is being made possible under a disruptive capabilities initiative that the MOD is delivering to ensure it retains the ability to have a decisive edge through the use of advanced technology.
来自国防科技实验室的尼克·乔德表示，国防部决心通过使用先进的技术来确保自己可以占据决定性优势，这个项目就是在这追求颠覆性能力的主张下才得以规划的。Dstl's Peter Cooper said: "This is a significant demonstration program aimed at maturing our understanding of what is still an immature technology. It draws on innovative research into high power lasers so as to understand the potential of the technology to provide a more effective response to the emerging threats that could be faced by UK armed forces."
国防科技实验室的彼得·库伯说：“这是一个重要的演示程序，目的在于深化我们对一个尚未成熟的技术的理解。它借鉴了高功率激光器的创新研究，以了解该技术的潜力，为英国军队可能面临的威胁提供一个更有效的应对方法。”
