????2014 年，國際局勢動蕩不斷。許多人希望地區沖突能夠在2015年有所緩和，但今年第一季度的形勢并沒能給他們帶來多少慰藉。地區沖突的戰火在東歐、中東不斷蔓延，西非和東非多國還在繼續爆發沖突，美國的軍火供應商正面臨這些國家對高科技軍事裝備日益增長的需求，因為這些國外買家希望加強防務，或增強目前介入伊拉克、敘利亞、也門和其他地區的軍事力量。

????今年3月，美國軍備對外銷售額同比大幅增長，其中最大一單是荷蘭斥資10億美元訂購的17架波音CH-47F直升機。這僅僅是上個月向國會報備的4筆交易之一，而2014年同期僅有一筆合同金額約為1億美元的交易。本周又迎來了4月份的第一筆交易：美國國防部批準了一單向巴基斯坦提供15架攻擊直升機和1000枚“地獄火”導彈及其支持系統的交易，合同金額高達9.52億美元。

????行業分析師稱，2015年，隨著歐洲部分地區、非洲、泛中東的地區沖突不斷激化，全球對武器裝備的需求仍將十分強勁。各國對精確制導武器和高技術裝備尤其感興趣。相對于伊斯蘭國或正在也門肆虐的胡塞叛亂分子那些不夠高端的武器裝備，這些設備擁有顯著的技術優勢。

????上周，古根海姆證券公司國防業分析師羅曼?施維策在一份投資分析報告中寫道：“鑒于目前關鍵地區（中東、歐洲和亞洲）的沖突或緊張局勢，我們預計美國對外軍售將全年保持強勁勢頭。由于北約和中東國家目前正對敘利亞和伊拉克的伊斯蘭國組織發動空襲，因此我們確信，除了銷售渠道有望出現重大合并外，美國的精確制導武器將有機會替代這輪空襲中所用武器。”

????他還稱：“在俄羅斯在烏克蘭的軍事行動持續深入后，我們還預計北約的東歐國家將會加大采購力度。”如果說波蘭和德國國防部近期的采購決策是個風向標，那他就沒有看錯。本月，波蘭將從兩家競標者中挑選一家采購全新的空防裝備，其中一家是“愛國者”導彈的制造商美國雷神公司，另一家是歐洲導彈集團和法國泰勒斯公司組成的聯合競標團。另外德國將公布其導彈防御系統的升級計劃，這項計劃對雷神公司或洛克希德馬丁公司的影響，將取決于具體的升級細節。

????在其他地區，像沙特阿拉伯這種長期以來一直購買美國軍備的國家，將在某個時期需要補充目前正用于空襲也門的彈藥。另外伊拉克正打算采購上百輛防彈悍馬，上千輛M1艾布蘭坦克（通用動力公司制造），以及2000枚“先進精確殺傷武器系統”（英國宇航系統公司制造）制導導彈，以加強其對伊斯蘭國的打擊。

????對巴基斯坦的的軍售合同仍需美國國會批準。根據這份合同，德事隆集團旗下的貝爾公司將提供15架AH-1Z響尾蛇攻擊直升機，洛克希德馬丁公司將提供1000枚精確制導“地獄火”導彈，合同總價值近10億美元。波音公司和通用電氣航空公司也在這份合同中享有一定份額。（財富中文網）

????譯者：清遠

????審校：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.