VOA标准英语2009年-India Begins Trials to Select Air Force Co

In India, trials have begun to select a fighter aircraft for the country's air force. Six aircraft manufacturers are in the race to win what will be one of the world's biggest defense¹ contracts worth billions of dollars.
　
dod fa-18c hornet fighter jet

In the southern city of Bangalore, Indian air force pilots have carried out sorties of two F 18 "Super hornet" fighter jets manufactured by U.S. based Boeing. The trials began Monday.

This marked the start of trials of six combat jets short listed by India, which plans to buy 126 new aircraft to modernize² its air force.

Another U.S. based company, Lockheed Martin will be next in line to put its F 16 aircraft through tactical maneuvers³. Others competing for the lucrative⁴ contract are Russia's MiG 35, France's Rafale, Sweden's Gripen and the Eurofighter Typhoon.

The contract will be worth approximately $12 billion - one of the largest defense contracts to be handed out in the world.

An air force spokesman, P.R. Singha, says the trials will be conducted in different stages over one year. Besides Bangalore, the jets will be tested in different climate zones - in the desert state of Rajasthan and in the Himalayan mountains. The final stage of trials will involve mounting weapons systems on the combat jets.

"As far as the field trials, the calendar is there,it is one after the other, the six aircraft, and in three places, Bangalore, Jaisalmer and Leh," explained Singha. "We have the desert sector⁵, the high temperature, the high altitude, the cold temperature. These three [trials] will take place in India, and the remaining, whatever is left will take place in the place of origin of the aircraft."

The trials began after Indian pilots were trained in the use of the combat jets.

India plans to buy 18 aircraft initially⁶. The rest will be manufactured in India under an agreement which will include transfer of technology to India.

The United States hopes that its blossoming relationship with New Delhi will help one of its two companies win the contract.

Rahul Bedi at Jane's Defense Weekly says it is very difficult to say at this stage which aircraft has the edge.

"It is very much an open race," Bedi said. "Most of the six competitors are broadly equal as far as their capabilities⁷ of the basic platforms are concerned. But the price as well as political considerations will ultimately decide the final winner."

U.S. companies are relatively⁸ new to the Indian defense market. The Indian military is mostly equipped with hardware from the former Soviet⁹ Union, but in the past decade, India has been looking to Western countries to meet its defense requirements. The biggest deal with a U.S. company involved the purchase of six military transport planes from Lockheed Martin. India is expected to spend $30 billion over the next decade to modernize its military.

1 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

2 modernize   

vt.使现代化，使适应现代的需要

参考例句：

• It was their manifest failure to modernize the country's industries.他们使国家进行工业现代化，明显失败了。
• There is a pressing need to modernise our electoral system.我们的选举制度迫切需要现代化。

3 maneuvers   

n.策略，谋略，花招( maneuver的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He suspected at once that she had been spying upon his maneuvers. 他立刻猜想到，她已经侦察到他的行动。 来自辞典例句
• Maneuvers in Guizhou occupied the Reds for four months. 贵州境内的作战占了红军四个月的时间。 来自辞典例句

4 lucrative   

adj.赚钱的，可获利的

参考例句：

• He decided to turn his hobby into a lucrative sideline.他决定把自己的爱好变成赚钱的副业。
• It was not a lucrative profession.那是一个没有多少油水的职业。

5 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

6 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

7 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

8 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

9 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。