全球地缘冲突不断，推高尖端武器需求

    2014 年，国际局势动荡不断。许多人希望地区冲突能够在2015年有所缓和，但今年第一季度的形势并没能给他们带来多少慰藉。地区冲突的战火在东欧、中东不断蔓延，西非和东非多国还在继续爆发冲突，美国的军火供应商正面临这些国家对高科技军事装备日益增长的需求，因为这些国外买家希望加强防务，或增强目前介入伊拉克、叙利亚、也门和其他地区的军事力量。

    今年3月，美国军备对外销售额同比大幅增长，其中最大一单是荷兰斥资10亿美元订购的17架波音CH-47F直升机。这仅仅是上个月向国会报备的4笔交易之一，而2014年同期仅有一笔合同金额约为1亿美元的交易。本周又迎来了4月份的第一笔交易：美国国防部批准了一单向巴基斯坦提供15架攻击直升机和1000枚“地狱火”导弹及其支持系统的交易，合同金额高达9.52亿美元。

    行业分析师称，2015年，随着欧洲部分地区、非洲、泛中东的地区冲突不断激化，全球对武器装备的需求仍将十分强劲。各国对精确制导武器和高技术装备尤其感兴趣。相对于伊斯兰国或正在也门肆虐的胡塞叛乱分子那些不够高端的武器装备，这些设备拥有显著的技术优势。

    上周，古根海姆证券公司国防业分析师罗曼•施维策在一份投资分析报告中写道：“鉴于目前关键地区（中东、欧洲和亚洲）的冲突或紧张局势，我们预计美国对外军售将全年保持强劲势头。由于北约和中东国家目前正对叙利亚和伊拉克的伊斯兰国组织发动空袭，因此我们确信，除了销售渠道有望出现重大合并外，美国的精确制导武器将有机会替代这轮空袭中所用武器。”

    他还称：“在俄罗斯在乌克兰的军事行动持续深入后，我们还预计北约的东欧国家将会加大采购力度。”如果说波兰和德国国防部近期的采购决策是个风向标，那他就没有看错。本月，波兰将从两家竞标者中挑选一家采购全新的空防装备，其中一家是“爱国者”导弹的制造商美国雷神公司，另一家是欧洲导弹集团和法国泰勒斯公司组成的联合竞标团。另外德国将公布其导弹防御系统的升级计划，这项计划对雷神公司或洛克希德马丁公司的影响，将取决于具体的升级细节。

    在其他地区，像沙特阿拉伯这种长期以来一直购买美国军备的国家，将在某个时期需要补充目前正用于空袭也门的弹药。另外伊拉克正打算采购上百辆防弹悍马，上千辆M1艾布兰坦克（通用动力公司制造），以及2000枚“先进精确杀伤武器系统”（英国宇航系统公司制造）制导导弹，以加强其对伊斯兰国的打击。

    对巴基斯坦的的军售合同仍需美国国会批准。根据这份合同，德事隆集团旗下的贝尔公司将提供15架AH-1Z响尾蛇攻击直升机，洛克希德马丁公司将提供1000枚精确制导“地狱火”导弹，合同总价值近10亿美元。波音公司和通用电气航空公司也在这份合同中享有一定份额。（财富中文网）

    译者：清远

    审校：任文科

    The first quarter of 2015 hasn’t offered much in the way of relief to those hoping a new calendar year might provide some respite from the upheaval that characterized 2014. But with armed conflicts in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and both west and east Africa continuing to pull new actors into the fray, U.S. defense contractors are facing increased demand for high-tech military hardware as foreign buyers look to shore up defenses or augment forces intervening in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and beyond.

    In March, year-over-year foreign sales of U.S. military hardware grew significantly over the same month a year ago, led by a $1 billion Dutch order for 17 Boeing-built CH-47F helicopters. It’s one of four deals announced to Congress last month, an uptick compared to the single deal (valued at approximately $100 million) made in March 2014. Kicking off April with a bang, the U.S. Department of Defense this week green-lit a deal supplying Pakistan with 15 attack helicopters and 1,000 Hellfire missiles—as well as supporting systems—valued at $952 million.

    And with conflicts simmering if not escalating in parts of Europe, Africa, and across the Middle East, the global appetite for weaponry will likely remain strong throughout 2015, analysts say. Of particular interest: precision munitions and high-tech systems that can impart a technological edge over less-sophisticated insurgent forces like the Islamic State or Houthi rebels currently advancing across Yemen.

    “Given the current state of conflict and/or tension in key regions (Middle East, Europe and Asia), we expect U.S. foreign military sales should continue to be strong throughout the year,” Roman Schweizer, a defense industry analysts for Guggenheim Securities, wrote in a note to investors this week. “In addition to major acquisition programs in the sales pipeline, we believe there will be new opportunities to replace precision munitions among NATO and Middle East countries participating in air strikes against the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.”

    “We also expect eastern NATO countries will increase procurements in the wake of continued Russian activity in Ukraine,” Schweizer continues. If decisions coming down from defense ministries in Poland and Germany are any indication, he’s right. This month, Poland will select a new air defense system from two competing bids by Raytheon , the American maker of the Patriot missile, and a collaboration between European arms maker MBDA and France’s Thales. Germany meanwhile will hand down a decision on an upgrade to its own missile defense system, which could impact Raytheon or Lockheed Martin depending on how the details shake out.

    Elsewhere, countries like Saudi Arabia—long a buyer of U.S. military hardware—will at some point need to replenish stockpiles of ordnance currently falling from skies over Yemen. Iraq is currently trying to buy hundreds of up-armored Humvees, thousands of M1 Abrams tanks (made by General Dynamics), and 2,000 guided rockets knows as Advanced Precision Kill Weapons Systems (made by Britain’s BAE Systems) to aid in its fight against Isis.

    As for the pending deal with Pakistan, which still needs Congressional approval, Textron subsidiary Bell would provide 15 AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters alongside 1,000 Lockheed Martin-built precision guided Hellfire missiles, and various other hardware totaling nearly $1 billion. In that deal, both Boeing and General Electric Aviation have a hand.