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Science and Technology
科技版塊
The war in Ukraine
烏克蘭戰爭
Loitering with intent
有意圖的游蕩
Baguette-sized flying bombs are about to enter service in Ukraine
法棍面包大小的飛行炸彈即將在烏克蘭投入使用
Javelin anti-tank missiles supplied to Ukraine by America are imposing a heavy toll on Russian forces.
美國向烏克蘭提供的標槍反坦克導彈給俄羅斯軍隊造成了巨大損失。
Now, the Americans are sending a batch of 100 somewhat different portable weapons—so-called loitering munitions.
現在，美國正在往烏克蘭運送100件不同的便攜式武器，即所謂的游蕩彈藥。
The difference is that, with a Javelin, you have to choose the target before you launch the missile.
不同的是，使用標槍，你必須在發射導彈之前選擇目標。
With a loitering munition, you don’t.
帶著游蕩的彈藥，你就不需要了。
Rather, you can fly it to a target-rich environment and pick out the richest of the lot to attack.
確切地說，你可以讓它飛到目標眾多的環境中，然后挑最多的目標位置進行攻擊。
The Javelin, a modern successor to the Bazooka, weighs 20kg with its launcher and can hit something up to 4km away.
標槍是火箭炮的現代繼承者，其發射器重達20公斤，可以擊中4公里外的目標。
Switchblade, as the loitering munition in question is known, is subtler.
Switchblade，這種被稱為“游蕩武器”的武器則更加隱蔽。
The version most likely to be delivered (though no one will confirm this) weighs but 2.5kg, yet has a range of 10km.
送給烏克蘭的裝備型號極有可能（雖然沒有人會證實這一點）只有2.5公斤重，但射程為10公里。
Though it cannot penetrate tank armour, its grenade-sized warhead is effective against unarmoured vehicles and groups of troops.
雖然它不能穿透坦克裝甲，但它的手榴彈大小的彈頭對非裝甲車和部隊群攻擊非常有效。
That, as Nick Reynolds, an analyst at rusi, a British defence think-tank, observes, means they can be used in particular against artillery batteries, whether of guns or rocket launchers—which are “softer” targets than tanks.
正如英國國防智庫RUSI的分析師尼克·雷諾茲所觀察到的那樣，這意味著它們可以專門用來對付炮兵，無論是火炮還是火箭發射器--它們都是比坦克“更容易攻擊”的目標。
This may be increasingly important as Ukraine’s cities are subjected to heavy artillery bombardment.
隨著烏克蘭城市遭到猛烈炮擊，這一點可能變得越來越重要。
Like Javelin, Switchblade is launched from a tube.
和標槍一樣，“Switchblade”也是從管子里發射的。
But rather than being a sleek rocket capable of travelling supersonically, it is a miniature aircraft—a drone—with wings that flip out after launch (hence its name) and an electric propeller which drives it forward at a leisurely 100kph for a flight that can last up to 15 minutes.
但它不是一架能夠超音速飛行的光滑火箭，而是一架微型飛機--一架無人機--發射后機翼可翻轉（因此得名），還有一個電動螺旋槳，驅動它以每小時100公里的速度飛行，飛行時間最長可達15分鐘。
It is controlled using a tablet that displays videos from an optical camera and an infrared thermal-imager which are on board the craft.
它是通過平板電腦控制的，平板電腦可以顯示飛行器上的光學相機和紅外熱成像儀拍攝的視頻。
When the operator spots a target, he or she locks onto it and the drone accelerates towards it at up to 160kph, chasing it automatically if it takes evasive action.
當操作員發現目標時，他或她會鎖定目標，無人機會以高達160公里的時速向目標加速，如果目標躲避行動，就會自動追趕。
Robert Bunker, director of research and analysis at c/o Futures, a security consultancy in California, says that the precision thus offered allows Switchblade to focus on high-value targets: not just artillery, but the headquarters and command vehicles of artillery units.
加州安全咨詢公司c/o Futures的研究和分析主管羅伯特·邦克表示，這樣提供的精確度使“Switchblade”能夠專注于高價值目標：不僅是大炮，還有炮兵部隊的總部和指揮車輛。
The close-up view provided by camera and thermal-imager means that targets can be picked with care.
相機和熱成像儀提供的特寫鏡頭意味著可以小心地挑選目標。
Moreover, if the operator realises a mistake has been made as the drone closes in, the attack can be called off and the weapon flown back into the sky until another target has been identified.
此外，如果操作員在無人機接近目標時意識到發生了錯誤，攻擊可以取消，武器可以飛回天空，直到確定另一個目標。
That gives Switchblade an advantage over a different sort of loiterer, armed drones.
這使得“Switchblade”相對于另一種游蕩的武裝無人機具有優勢。
