在彭博社上周獲得的一份8月9日的備忘錄中,， 五角大樓的測試主任邁克爾·吉爾默寫道,，下一代F-35戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)的開發(fā)項(xiàng)目，“可能無法按時(shí)交付”飛機(jī)的全部功能,。開發(fā)商洛克希德目前宣布的最終期限是2018年,。F-35項(xiàng)目的總成本已經(jīng)增加到超過1萬億美元。

吉爾默似乎是在反駁美國空軍的一則公告,。這則公告中聲稱這款飛機(jī)已做好戰(zhàn)斗準(zhǔn)備,。他寫道,，按照當(dāng)前的狀態(tài)，“由于尚未解決的性能缺陷和有限的武器掛載能力”,，F(xiàn)-35戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)需要舊機(jī)型戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)的支持,，才能“鎖定和避免現(xiàn)代威脅、捕獲目標(biāo),，與敵方戰(zhàn)機(jī)編隊(duì)交火”,。

目前該飛機(jī)存在的問題包括依舊會以穩(wěn)定的頻率出現(xiàn)的軟件問題，吉爾默寫道,，軟件問題會干擾目標(biāo)識別,、戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)之間的通信和雷達(dá)信號偵測。后者尤其重要,，因?yàn)橛嗁廎-35主要看中的就是其隱身能力,。

該飛機(jī)軟件“Block 3i”目前的版本，也導(dǎo)致飛機(jī)前置機(jī)槍無法使用,。吉爾默還寫到,，飛行測試已經(jīng)“遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)落后于”預(yù)定計(jì)劃。飛機(jī)的操作測試原計(jì)劃在2018年開始,。

軍方和洛克希德的代表堅(jiān)稱,，他們早已知道備忘錄中列出的問題，并且正在尋找解決辦法,。洛克希德的發(fā)言人稱,，開發(fā)工作仍在順利進(jìn)行，將在2017年底完成,，而美國空軍部長德博拉·李·詹姆斯強(qiáng)調(diào)稱,，“未來幾年”將繼續(xù)對這款飛機(jī)的研發(fā)工作。

F-35計(jì)劃啟動以來,，特別是成本的迅速增加,，使F-35一直都是爭議的焦點(diǎn)。2010年,，美國參議院撥款委員會（Senate Appropriations Committee）寫道,，該項(xiàng)目表明“對國防預(yù)算流程缺乏有效的控制”。由于這款飛機(jī)在與舊型號F-16的模擬空中格斗中并不占優(yōu),，因此它一直被形容為比較早機(jī)型的機(jī)動性更差,。（財(cái)富中文網(wǎng)）

譯者：劉進(jìn)龍/汪皓

In an August 9th memo obtained by Bloomberg last week, the Pentagon’s director of testing, Michael Gilmore, wrote that the program to develop the next-generation F-35 fighter jet is “on a path toward failing to deliver” the plane’s full capabilities in time. Developer Lockheed’s current deadline is 2018. The total cost of the F-35 program has risen to more than $1 trillion dollars.

Gilmore also seemed to contradict an Air Force announcement that its version of the plane was combat-ready, writing that in its current state, the F-35 would need support from older craft to “l(fā)ocate and avoid modern threats, acquire targets, and engage formations of enemy fighter aircraft due to outstanding performance deficiencies and limited weapons carriage available.”

The current issues with the plane include software problems which continue to surface at a steady rate, and which Gilmore wrote interfere with target identification, communications between aircraft, and radar signal detection. The latter would be particularly significant, since the F-35 is prominently billed for its stealth capabilities.

The current version of the plane’s software, known as “Block 3i,” also leaves the plane’s front-mounted machine gun unusable. Gilmore also wrote that flight testing has fallen “far behind” schedule. Operational testing of the plane is scheduled to begin in 2018.

Representatives of the military and Lockheed insisted that the memo outlined issues that were already well-understood and were being addressed. Lockheed’s spokesman said that development was still on track for completion in late 2017, while Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James emphasized that the plane would continue to develop further over “the next several years.”

The F-35 has been the repeated subject of controversy since the inception of the program, particularly over rapidly escalating costs. In 2010, the Senate Appropriations Committee wrote that the program showed “the lack of proper control in the defense budget process.” The plane itself has been described asless maneuverable than older fighters, operating at a disadvantage in a simulated dogfight with the older F-16.