【9月20日】看軍聞學英語

■泰戈爾

原文：

Special ops MH-47 Chinooks that could refuel other aircraft midair would give the Night Stalkers their own organic tanker capability.

Special operations MH-47 Chinooks offloading fuel to other aircraft in the air is one possible future scenario that U.S. Army Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is eyeing as it begins to work out what the future Block III iteration of the twin-rotor helicopter might look like. While hypothetical at this stage, a Chinook capable of operating as an aerial refueling tanker could help address the command’s lack of organic tanker capacity and support its future air assault strategies.

Speaking at the annual SOF Week conference, senior SOCOM officers provided updates on the current status of the highly modified MH-47Gs that provide the heavy-lift muscle for the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, or 160th SOAR, the famous Night Stalkers.

"Currently, we’re in Block II," explained Sean Godfrey, product manager for the MH-47 at Army Special Operations Aviation Command. "We do not currently have what the Block III looks like, but that aircraft’s not going anywhere. It’s going to have to get upgraded over time." A slide from a SOCOM event at the annual SOF Week conference shows a pathway to the Block III MH-47G.

中譯：

讓特種作戰專用的MH-47「契努克」（Chinook）直升機能夠在空中為其他航空器加油，將使「暗夜行者」（Night Stalkers）部隊擁有屬於自己編制內的空中加油能力。

特種作戰MH-47契努克直升機在空中將燃油輸送給其他航空器，是美國陸軍特種作戰司令部（SOCOM）正在關注的一種未來可能的想定。目前，該司令部已開始著手規劃這款雙旋翼直升機未來的「第三代」版本會是什麼模樣。雖然這個階段仍屬假設，但一架能夠作為空中加油機運作的契努克直升機，將有助於解決該司令部缺乏編制內加油能力的問題，並能支援其未來的空中突擊戰略。

在年度特種作戰部隊週（SOF Week）大會上，特種作戰司令部的高階軍官們說明高度改裝的MH-47G最新現況。該型機為著名的「暗夜行者」—第 160 特戰航空團（160th SOAR）提供了重型起重的核心戰力。

陸軍特種作戰航空司令部 MH-47 產品經理戈德弗里解釋說：「目前，我們正處於第二代的版本。我們目前還沒有勾勒出第三代的確切模樣，但該型航空器不會退役，隨著時間推移，它勢必得進行升級。」來自年度特種作戰部隊週大會上特種作戰司令部活動的一張簡報投影片，展示了通往 Block III MH-47G 的發展路徑。

─關鍵軍語─

※Special Operations Aviation Regiment：

特戰航空團

※air assault：空中突擊