Japan took a step on Tuesday toward expanding its military capabilities by advancing plans for aircraft carriers that can launch fighter jets.

周二，日本开始推进可供喷气式战斗机起飞的航空母舰计划，朝着扩展其军事能力的方向迈进了一步。

The plans, contained in a draft of new defense guidelines approved by the governing parties, would effectively arm Japan with its first aircraft carriers since World War II, with potential striking powers well beyond Japanese territory.

计划所属的新防务大纲草案已获得执政党的首肯，它实际上将使日本自二战以来首次拥有航空母舰，具备远远超出日本领土的潜在打击能力。

The move risks inflaming a politically delicate debate in Japan over whether such expanded military capability is compatible with the country’s pacifist constitution.

The plans could be construed as offensive weapons beyond those deemed necessary for self-defense.

此举恐将在日本激起一个政治敏感话题，即如此扩大军事能力是否符合该国的和平宪法。

该计划可能被解读为超出自卫需求的进攻性武器。

Under the change, large Japanese naval vessels now equipped with helicopters would be upgraded, enabling them to carry jet fighters capable of short takeoffs and vertical landings, and equipped with stealth technology to avoid detection.

经过此次的改变，现已配备直升机的日本大型军舰将得以升级，使其能够搭载可短距起飞、垂直降落并配备可躲过侦测的隐形技术的战斗机。

With such upgrades, Japan will enable fighter jets to be operated from existing warships, if necessary to improve the flexibility of their operation,” according to a passage from the guidelines reported by the Kyodo News Agency.

如此升级之后，日本将使喷气式战斗机具备从现有战舰出发作战的能力，在必要时提升作战的灵活性，”共同通讯社(Kyodo)报道的防务草案中写道。

Kyodo quoted unidentified government sources as saying that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s cabinet intended to endorse the revised guidelines this month.

共同社引述未署名的来自日本政府的消息源称，首相安倍晋三(Shinzo Abe)的内阁打算于本月宣布支持这份经过修改的防务纲要。

Military analysts in the United States said the upgrades, which Japanese defense officials have been talking about for a while, reflected Japan’s shared concern with the United States about the growing assertiveness of China’s aerial and naval forces in the Pacific.

美国的军事分析人士称，此次升级——日本的防务官员谈论这个问题已经有一段时间了——反映出日本和美国对中国在太平洋日益强硬的海空部队的共同担忧。

Japan and China have been locked in a longstanding dispute over East China Sea islands that the Japanese call the Senkaku and the Chinese call the Diaoyu.

Japanese officials are also increasingly concerned about North Korea’s military capabilities.

日本和中国在一些东海岛屿上长期僵持不下，日本称那些岛屿为尖阁诸岛(Senkaku)，中国称钓鱼岛。

日本官员对朝鲜军事力量的担忧也日益加剧。

In September, a Japanese submarine participated in war games in the South China Sea, a direct response to China’s presence.

九月，日本一艘潜艇参与了南海军演，对中国在该地区的存在给予了直接回应。

Eric Wertheim, a defense consultant and author of the United States Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World, said the planned upgrades in Japan were designed for confrontations in contested waters.

美国国防顾问、 美国海军学院世界舰队指南　(United States Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World)作者埃里克·韦尔特海姆(Eric Wertheim)表示，日本的升级计划旨在为争议海域的对抗做准备。

In such situations, he said in a telephone interview, the single most valuable asset is the use of air power, and carrier power when you don’t have air bases nearby.

”在这种情况下，他在电话采访中说，最具价值的资产是使用空中力量，如果附近没有空军基地，那就是航母力量。

”While supporters of the Japanese upgrades would argue that they are defensive, Mr.

Wertheim said, such a change improves Japan’s capability to project power.

”虽然日本升级的支持者认为，这些武器是防御性的，但韦尔特海姆说，这样的转变可以增进日本的攻击力量。

”Kyodo said that under the planned upgrades, the Japanese government would convert its Izumo flattop destroyers, which can hold 14 helicopters each, so that they can also be used to deploy short-takeoff and vertical-landing aircraft like the F-35B, an American warplane.

共同社称，根据升级计划，日本政府将对其出云”号平顶护卫舰进行改装，使其在每艘承载14架直升机外，还可用于部署可短距起飞、垂直降落的飞机，如美国的F-35B战斗机。

The agency quoted Japan’s defense minister, Takeshi Iwaya, as telling reporters that since the Izumo had originally been designed as a multipurpose escort ship, it wouldn’t pose any threat to other countries if fighter jets are deployed on it.

”该通讯社援引日本防卫大臣岩屋毅(Takeshi Iwaya)告诉记者的话称，由于出云”号起初是被设计用作多用途护卫舰，在它上面部署喷气式战斗机，不会对其他国家构成任何威胁。

”Mr.

Iwaya said last month that the government was considering purchases of the F-35B, a variant of the Lockheed Martin Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter.

Mr.

Iwaya said the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s two Izumo-class warships would have to be upgraded to handle F-35B operations.

岩屋毅上月说，日本政府在考虑购买F-35B——洛克希德·马丁(Lockheed Martin)研制的闪电2型联合攻击战斗机的一个版本。

岩屋毅称，日本海上自卫队的两架出云级战舰需要经过升级才能用于F-35B的行动。

【日本计划升级军舰，二战以来将首次拥有航母查看网站：[db:时间]】