不让买中国无人机?美国内政部怨气很重,致信拜登
当地时间18日,英媒爆料称,美国内政部内部人士最近在吐槽美国自产的无人机:比中国贵,而且难用……
《金融时报》报道截图
报道称,根据美国内政部今年1月向拜登政府提交的备忘录,五角大楼研发的旨在替代中国产品的摄像无人机,造价更贵,功能更差。 6park.com Camera drones developed by the Pentagon are more expensive and less capable than the Chinese-made models they were designed to replace, according to an internal US government memo seen by the Financial Times. 6park.com据悉,这款由美国国防部招标的“蓝色无人机”项目,平均价格约2100美元,相比中国产品贵了8到14倍。 6park.comIt warned that with an average price of $2,100, the drones cost between eight and 14 times more than the aircraft the department was previously able to purchase. 6park.com此外,由于设计问题,这款无人机还无法满足美国内政部的关键工作需求。 6park.com备忘录显示,如果只能使用五角大楼提供的产品,将导致美国内政部的态势感知能力下降95%。这些飞行器的设计是为满足国防部的特定任务需求,但对于内政部来说,只能满足20%的任务要求。” 6park.com"By only having the 'Blue UAS [unmanned aerial systems]' approved, it reduces DoI sensor capabilities by 95 per cent . . . The aircraft are designed for a very specific DoD [Department of Defense] mission set and will only meet around 20 per cent of DoI mission requirements." 6park.com据悉,特朗普政府曾在2019年,以“国家安全”为借口,禁止军方与政府机构购买或使用中国无人机。当年10月,美国内政部停飞了全部的无人机,共810架。 6park.comIn 2019, the Trump administration grounded every one of the department’s 810 drones because they contained Chinese parts. 6park.com此举给需要完成包括山火、洪水预警与救灾,野生动物、自然资源勘察与保护等工作的内政部,带来了严重的后果。 6park.com根据备忘录内容,当前的状态已经导致美国内政部“几乎不可能”有效开展法律赋予的关键本职工作,比如为大片公共土地进行测量、保育等。 6park.com随后,美国开始自行研发无人机。
中标五角大楼项目的法国无人机公司Parrot SA产品 图源:Parrot 官网
在经历一年半的测试后,五角大楼在2020年8月,与四家美国公司和一家法国公司组成“蓝色无人机”(Blue sUAVS)项目,为美军、联邦政府部门提供替代中国产品的“安全选项”,整个计划投资1800万美元。 6park.com 尴尬的是,尽管五角大楼花费了数年时间和数百万美元,与私营公司合作开发了5架无人机,并称政府机构可以安全使用。但根据国防部去年的一份报告,至少有4款型号中有大量的包括电路板在内的中国零件。 6park.comThe Pentagon has spent several years and millions of dollars working with private companies to develop five drones it said could be safely used by government agencies. But according to a Department of Defense report last year, at least four of the models contained a significant number of Chinese parts, including circuit boards.
美国生产的无人机
报道称,美国国内对于小型无人机的成本及有效性的吐槽,显示出美国虽然试图摆脱中国技术,却依然拿不出本土的替代产品,因而面临着种种困境。 6park.com But the complaint about the devices' cost and effectiveness illustrates the difficulties the US has faced trying to wean itself off Chinese technology without obvious domestic alternatives. 6park.com据美媒最新消息,五角大楼已经在今年5月6日的一份报告中承认,大疆的两款无人机已经通过安全审核,获准使用。《国会山报》认为,这份报告可能会促使美国政府机构恢复使用大疆无人机。
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