王鹏
By Wang Peng
近日，英国皇家海军在社交媒体上发布了“伊丽莎白女王”号航母战斗群组成的图片，以此展示其倾尽全力打造的海上核心战力。而在此之前，英美两国国防部长已经正式签署协议，计划在2021年春季组成“伊丽莎白女王”号航母战斗群，联合部署于亚太地区。
The British Royal Navy recently posted photos of its HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier strike group on social media, demonstrating the core maritime force it is determined to form. According to an official agreement previously signed by the British and American defense officials, a combined strike group, led by the aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth, will be deployed to the Asia-Pacific in the spring of 2021.
英国政府此次与美国共同组建新航母战斗群的举措引起广泛关注。英国首相约翰逊向英国国会发表声明时表示：“英国皇家海军下属的‘伊丽莎白女王’号航母，将领衔英国皇家海军多艘驱逐舰、护卫舰，组成一支远洋舰队，与盟友一道混编为特遣舰队，执行英国海军近20年来最大规模的军事部署行动，前往地中海、印度洋，直到抵达东亚海域，与盟友的海军舰队在以上这些海域执行联合军事演习与巡航任务。”
London’s decision to merge forces with Washington to form a new carrier strike group has captured extensive attention. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the parliament, “Next year HMS Queen Elizabeth will lead a British and allied task group on our most ambitious deployment for two decades, encompassing the Mediterranean, the Indian Ocean and East Asia, where we will carry out joint military exercises and patrols with our allied naval ships.”
英国如此急迫地把刚刚形成战斗力的新舰部署在亚太地区，主要有两方面的考虑。一方面，英国竭力通过提升和展示自身军事能力、参与全球热点地区事务来刷“存在感”。英国自“脱欧”以来，在国际社会越来越陷入孤立的状态。在这种情况下，需要以一种积极、主动，甚至是强势的姿态恢复原有的国际地位。2019年，英国时任国防大臣加文·威廉姆森就曾表示，英国可能在南海、加勒比海等地区新建军事基地，这将帮助英国作为“真正的全球参与者”重返世界舞台。
There are two reasons why the UK is eager to deploy its newly formed combat force to the Asia Pacific. For one thing, it is intensifying its “presence” by enhancing and showcasing its military strengths and participating in global hotspot issues. Worried about its increasing isolation from the international community since Brexit, the country is anxious to restore its international standing in a proactive or even aggressive posture. In 2019, the then Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said Britain might build new military bases in the South China Sea and the Caribbean Sea, which would get his country back to the international stage as a 'true global player'.
另一方面，英国希望通过这种举措强化与美国的盟友关系，这是英国尽快恢复国际地位的最有效途径之一。英国在2021年积极投入冷战结束以来最大规模的防务预算达165亿英镑，确保防务支出位列欧洲第一和北约第二的地位，以此显示英国作为美国盟国、强化与美国关系的决心。对此，美国也有着同样的强烈需求，这为两国不断加深军事联盟的深度与广度打下了坚实的政治基础。
For another, the UK wants to tighten its alliance with the US by taking aggressive steps toward China, which is one of the most effective ways for it to restore its international standing quickly. That London’s 2021 defense budget reached 16.5 billion pounds – the largest for the country since the end of the Cold War, the highest in Europe, and second in NATO – showed how committed it is to strengthen the ties with Washington. This, coupled with a reciprocal eagerness from the US, has laid a solid political foundation for them to deepen and broaden their military alliance.
但是对英国海军来说，要迈向“全球部署”的目标实为不易。仅从现有的海军力量上来看，还存在“力不从心”之感。据英国媒体报道，当前英国海军主力舰艇存在很多问题尚未解决，“伊丽莎白女王”号航母漏水情况严重，6艘45型驱逐舰的动力系统全部存在抛锚隐患。实际上，英国海军的此次部署行动，已经动用了其水面舰队一半的力量。正因如此，外界有评论认为英国政府此举实为“逞强”。俄罗斯亚太问题军事专家扎伊采夫·瓦西里·彼得洛维奇表示，“英国人迫不及待地想要在不具备实力的情况下展现武力、炫耀肌肉，这其中存在巨大的隐患。”
But “global deployment” is no piece of cake for the British navy, which is more willing than able given its current naval force. British media reported that capital warships of the Royal Navy have many problems to be solved, such as the serious leaking on HMS Queen Elizabeth and the risk of a breakdown in the power systems of six Type-45 destroyers. In fact, the planned operation involves half of its surface vessels, which, no wonder, is commented as quite a stretch by critics. According to a Russian military expert on Asia-Pacific issues, the Brits cannot wait to flex muscles when they are not in the place yet – that’s very dangerous.
根据英国媒体报道，这支英国海军远洋舰队将会在泛印度洋、南海周边、东海周边等中国周边海域，与印度海军、韩国海军、美国海军等一道进行联合海上军事演习，以此锻炼英国海军的远洋战力和战备基础。
According to British media coverage, this British naval expeditionary fleet would carry out joint maritime exercises with the Indian, the ROK, and American navies in sea areas around China, including the Indian Ocean, the South China Sea, and the East China Sea, focusing on raising ocean-going combat force and war-preparedness.
此次，英国政府指明在亚太地区活动期间，“伊丽莎白女王”号航母战斗群将把补给基地设在日本。由此可见，美英两国这支联合航母战斗群活动的重点区域在亚太地区，尤其是南海地区。 The British government has also announced that the replenishment base for the HMS Queen Elizabeth group will be set in Japan during its operations in the Asia-Pacific. It’s clear that the US-UK combined carrier strike group will operate mainly in the Asian-Pacific region, particularly around the South China Sea.
之所以选择这一热点地区，主要是长期以来美国为了显示其军事霸权实力，高调在南海进行所谓的“航行自由”活动。同时，为了减轻自身负担，美国一直在鼓动盟国加入这一行列。英国正是为了配合与满足美国的这一战略需求，主动提出重返亚太。
They have chosen this hotspot region because for a long time, the US has been carrying out the so-called “freedom of navigation” operations here on a high profile to flaunt its military hegemony and strength, and the US has been recruiting allies to help share the burden. London proposed to return to the Asia-Pacific to meet this strategic demand of the US.
针对英国海军宣布将派遣“伊丽莎白女王”号航母前往南海，我国国防部新闻发言人谭克非在2020年12月31日表示，南海不应成为大国博弈之海、炮舰横行之海。当前，在中国和东盟国家的共同努力下，南海形势总体稳定。域外国家不远万里跑到南海来耀武扬威、挑动事端、制造紧张，才是南海“军事化”的根本原因。中国军队将采取必要措施，坚决捍卫国家主权、安全、发展利益，坚定维护南海地区和平稳定。
In response to British Royal Navy’s announcement to dispatch the HMS Queen Elizabeth to the South China Sea, Senior Colonel Tan Kefei, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of National Defense, told a regular press conference on December 31, 2020, that the South China Sea should be neither an arena for major-power wrestling nor a sea dominated by warships. At present, the South China Sea maintains generally stable thanks to the joint efforts made by China and ASEAN countries. Some countries outside the region come from afar to flex their military muscles, ignite confrontations, and create tensions in the South China Sea, which is the root reason for the “militarization” of this region. The Chinese military will take necessary measures to firmly safeguard China’s sovereignty, security and development interests and maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea region, said the spokesperson.
Editor's note: This article is originally published on www.cyol.com, and is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information, ideas or opinions appearing in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.
