日本选择美国协助其战斗机项目——报道
据《日经新闻》报道，日本已决定主要与美国合作伙伴联合开发下一代战斗机（NGF），而与英国的技术合作非常有限。
Japan has decided to work mainly with U.S. partners in developing its Next Generation Fighter (NGF), with only limited technical cooperation with Britain, the other contender, the Nikkei newspaper said.
该报援引某消息来源（具体来源未透露）的话称，需要与美军加强互操作性，包括共享先进的数据链路，是做出这一选择的关键原因。
A need for greater interoperability with U.S. forces, including sharing advanced data links, is the key reason for the choice, the newspaper said, citing no sources.
该公司还说，几家美国公司将参与这项计划，日本将为此支付费用，并指出波音和洛克希德马丁公司曾提出帮助开发这款飞机。
Several U.S. companies will be involved in the program, which Japan will pay for, it added, noting that Boeing and Lockheed Martin had offered to help develop the aircraft.
《日经新闻》称，对当前设计提议的改装方案将不会被采纳。之前有报道称洛克希德-马丁公司和日本工业界拟对F-22猛禽进行大幅度改装并使其与F-35闪电系统相匹配，现在看来该提议已被放弃。
Proposed adaptations of current designs will not be used, the Nikkei said. That seems to rule out a reported proposal in which Lockheed Martin and Japanese industry would greatly modify the F-22 Raptor and fit it with systems from the F-35 Lightning.
NGF原为未来战斗机，计划在21世纪30年代开始服役，取代三菱重工（Mitsubishi Heavy Industries，MHI）F-2。国防部设想的是一种具有长续航力和巨大内部导弹载荷的大型飞机。
The NGF, formerly Future Fighter, is intended to enter service in the 2030s and replace the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) F-2. The defense ministry envisions a very large aircraft with long endurance and a large internal missile load.
据报道，日本将开发任务系统，以控制雷达、其他传感器和电子战系统等设备。该报道补充说，日本对最终战斗机的改装进行控制是当务之急。主要的日本公司有三菱重工（MHI）、东芝（Toshiba）和播磨重工（IHI）。
Japan will develop the mission system to control such equipment as the radar, other sensors and electronic warfare systems, according to the report, which adds that Japanese control over modifications to the resulting fighter is a high priority. The key Japanese companies are to be MHI, Toshiba and IHI.
三菱重工是日本传统战斗机制造商。东芝生产包括雷达在内的电子产品，播磨重工则是日本主要的航空发动机公司。
MHI is Japan’s traditional fighter builder. Toshiba makes electronics, including radars, and IHI is the country’s main aero-engine company.
《日经新闻》说，同时与美英两国合作的可能性被驳回。相反，日本将考虑如何与英国进行技术上的合作，以便两国互补。
The possibility of cooperating with both the U.S. and Britain was rejected, the Nikkei said. Instead, Japan will look at how it can cooperate technically with Britain, with the aim of the two countries complementing each other.
这似乎给周边国家参与英国风暴战斗机项目留下了空间，在该项目中，拟议的开发安排将只允许伙伴国家共享部分飞机。
This seems to leave room for peripheral involvement in the British Tempest fighter project, in which the proposed development arrangement would allow partner countries to share only parts of the aircraft.
在日本选择与英国合作的情况下，BAE系统公司一直是主要的潜在合作伙伴。
BAE Systems has been the main prospective corporate partner in the case of Japan choosing to work with Britain.
《日经新闻》说，美国总统特朗普对NGF非常感兴趣，这大概意味着他希望日本与美国公司签订合同，帮助开发NGF。此消息与该报道的的其他内容一样，应该来自日本某官员，但《日经新闻》未明确表示。
President Donald Trump is taking a keen interest in the NGF, the Nikkei said—presumably meaning that he wants Japan to contract with U.S. companies to help develop it. That information, like the other content of the report, would have had to come from Japanese officials, but the newspaper did not say so.
这条消息是Bradley Perrett在Aerospace Daily & Defense Report发表文章的摘要。 点击此处查看有关Aerospace Daily & Defense Report更多消息.