DCNS of France has beaten competitors from Japanand Germany to win a A$50bn politically chargedcontract to build a new fleet of 12 submarines forthe Australian navy.
法國DCNS擊敗日本和德國的競爭對(duì)手，贏得了一份500億澳元的、充滿政治色彩的合同，將為澳大利亞海軍新建12艘潛艇。
Tuesday’s announcement of DCNS as preferredbidder deals a blow to Shinzo Abe, Japan’s primeminister, who lobbied hard for a contract that wouldhave boosted defence ties with Canberra and bolstered plans to build an arms export industry.
周二傳出的DCNS成為首選投標(biāo)人的消息，對(duì)日本首相安倍晉三(Shinzo Abe)是一次打擊。安倍此前曾為贏得這份合同努力游說。如果日方中標(biāo)，不但可以促進(jìn)日本與澳大利亞的防務(wù)關(guān)系，還能提振日本打造武器出口產(chǎn)業(yè)的計(jì)劃。
Insiders in the bidding process believe Japan’s bid failed mainly due to concerns over the abilityof Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Heavy Industries to transfer technology toAustralia, where the submarines will be built, and its lack of a record on delivering big defenceexport projects.
參與招投標(biāo)過程的內(nèi)部人士認(rèn)為，日方競標(biāo)失敗的主要原因在于，澳方擔(dān)心三菱重工(Mitsubishi HeavyIndustries)和川崎重工(Kawasaki Heavy Industries)是否能向其轉(zhuǎn)讓技術(shù)(潛艇將在澳大利亞建造)，而且日方?jīng)]有交付大型防務(wù)出口項(xiàng)目的經(jīng)驗(yàn)。
Malcolm Turnbull, Australia’s prime minister, said the decision to build a new fleet ofsubmarines in partnership with DCNS represented “a momentous national endeavour”.
澳大利亞總理馬爾科姆•特恩布爾(Malcolm Turnbull)表示，與DCNS合作打造一支新潛艇艦隊(duì)的決定，代表著“一項(xiàng)重大的國家努力”。
The French presidency described the contract win as “historic”.
法國總統(tǒng)辦公室稱，此次中標(biāo)具有“歷史性”意義。
Australia’s replacement of its existing submarine fleet is part of an arms race in the Asia-Pacific region led by China, which is expanding its capability across the region. Defencespending in Asia in 2014 was A$439bn (US$338bn), surpassing spending in Europe, accordingto Australia’s defence white paper released this year.
澳大利亞對(duì)該國現(xiàn)有潛艇艦隊(duì)的更新，是中國帶頭搞的亞太軍備競賽的組成部分。中國正在整個(gè)亞太地區(qū)擴(kuò)大自己的軍事能力。澳大利亞今年發(fā)布的防務(wù)白皮書顯示，2014年亞洲防務(wù)開支超過了歐洲，達(dá)到4390億澳元(合3380億美元)。
Under the winning French bid, DCNS will build 12 Shortfin Barracuda submarines for theAustralian navy and help maintain them over half a century.
依據(jù)中標(biāo)的法方競標(biāo)方案，DCNS將為澳大利亞海軍建造12艘“短鰭梭魚”(Shortfin Barracuda)潛艇，并提供50年保養(yǎng)服務(wù)。
The new vessel, a conventional diesel-powered submarine using a pump-jet propulsionsystem, draws on the design of France’s existing Barracuda-class nuclear submarine. Itrepresents the first time Paris will share this stealth technology (which is quieter than atraditional propeller) for submarines with another country, said DCNS.
這批新潛艇為常規(guī)柴油動(dòng)力潛艇，采用泵噴推進(jìn)系統(tǒng)，設(shè)計(jì)上借鑒了法國現(xiàn)有的“梭魚”(Barracuda class，見下圖)級(jí)核潛艇。DCNS表示，這將是法國政府首次將這種潛艇隱形技術(shù)分享給他國。泵噴推進(jìn)比傳統(tǒng)的螺旋槳推進(jìn)更安靜。
Japan had been in pole position to win the submarine contract before Tony Abbott was oustedas prime minister by Malcolm Turnbull in September. Mr Abbott had envisaged Australiabuying Japan’s Soryu class submarine in a bid to deepen strategic and defence ties with Tokyoat a politically tense time in the Asia-Pacific region.
去年9月，特恩布爾取代托尼•阿博特(Tony Abbott)成為澳大利亞總理。阿博特下臺(tái)前，日方曾在這份潛艇合同的競標(biāo)中處于領(lǐng)先位置。按照阿博特的設(shè)想，澳大利亞應(yīng)購買日本的蒼龍級(jí)(Soryu class)潛艇，以便在亞太政治緊張之際深化與日本的戰(zhàn)略和防務(wù)關(guān)系。
People close to Japan’s bid said failure after spending so long as apparent frontrunner would bea source of “considerable personal embarrassment” to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and thatTokyo and the companies involved would now enter a period of “blame and recrimination” aseach party sought to evade culpability.
熟悉日方競標(biāo)情況的人士稱，日方在扮演了這么長時(shí)間明面上的領(lǐng)跑者后受挫，將給日本首相安倍晉三個(gè)人制造“很大的尷尬”，日本政府和相關(guān)企業(yè)現(xiàn)在將進(jìn)入“埋怨和反責(zé)”期，因?yàn)楦鞣蕉剂η笃睬遑?zé)任。
