新加坡6月30日（路透社）----国防部表示，日本将最快于七月中旬启动一项价值高达400亿美元的战斗机投标，由于和中国存在争议的海上边界的紧张气氛日益攀升，东京将以此加强其空中防御。

In one of the biggest fighter jet contracts up for grabs in years a ministry spokesman said Japan will contact foreign and domestic defence contractors soon after a July 5 deadline for expressions of interest in the tender for about 100 warplanes.

这是近年来供人竞价的最大标的的战斗机合同之一，国防部发言人指出，日本将在六月五日其标的大约为100架战斗机的投标意向书截止日后，很快就与国内外制造商签订合同。

People familiar with the matter said U.S. firms Boeing Co and Lockheed Martin Corp have been invited to take part in the project dubbed the F-3 fighter jet programme alongside Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd (MHI) the prime domestic contractor.

知情人士透露，美国的波音公司和马丁.洛克希德公司被邀请参加代号为F-3的战斗机投标，日本三菱重工作为国内主要承包商，也在被邀标行列。

A final decision is likely in summer 2018 the people said with deployment due at the end of the 2020s at the earliest. They declined to be identified because the matter was confidential.

知情人士说，最终决定可能将于2018年夏天做出，也可能最早在本世纪20年代末部署。因为保密的原因，他们拒绝给出明确的时间表 。

With a value seen by these people at up to $40 billion the F-3 programme will dwarf most recent fighter jet deals in value likely attracting global contractor interest. But analysts say Japan's preference for an aircraft that can operate closely with the U.S. military given close Washington-Tokyo ties makes a non-U.S. option a long-shot.

知情人士估算的价值高达400亿美元的F-3项目，将使得近年来绝大部分战斗机合同的价值都相形见绌，很容易引起全球战斗机制造商的兴趣。但是分析人士称，日本为了拉近华盛顿和东京的关系，更倾向于采用能和美军飞机协同操控的战斗机，这使得美国以外的公司胜算极小。