Military draft registration could end--or expand to women

On one side of the Hill, there's a quiet effort underway in Congress to abolish the Selective Service System, more commonly known as military draft registration.

Down the hall, in the Senate, other lawmakers are pushing instead to expand the draft registration now that the Pentagon has opened combat positions up to women.

Reps. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., and Mike Coffman, R-Colo., are spearheading an effort in the House of Representatives to see the registration abolished, calling it a waste of money considering the success of the all-volunteer force.

"There is no one who wants this except 'chicken hawk' members of Congress," DeFazio said, referring to his colleagues who push for military action without having served themselves, who he accuses of being afraid to look weak on national security by supporting closing the agency.

The Selective Service costs $24 million a year, maintaining a database of 17 million potential draftees--all male--in the event the draft were to be reinstated.

Ukraine, Russia military mull joint housing construction in Crimea

The Ukrainian and Russian Defense Ministries are studying joint housing construction in Crimea for military men of the two countries, Ukrainian Defense Minister Pavlo Lebedev has said.

"The social issue of joint participation in housing construction for Ukrainian and Russian military men, first of all, on the territory of military housing areas, which military men left, was discussed," he said at a briefing at the Desna military training center in Chernihiv region, commenting on the results of his meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoygu.

The minister said that there are many vacant military housing areas in Crime and Sevastopol, and he said that houses should be built there.

Lebedev added that this could be done via the attraction of private investment, creation of jobs and provide military men with apartments.

The minister said that Ukraine has raised the issue of pensions for military men.

United Arab Emirates set to buy US Predator drones

 The United Arab Emirates is close to purchasing Predator drones from a San Diego County defense contractor, sparking concern among arms control advocates.

Under the proposed sale, revealed this week at a defense conference in Abu Dhabi and confirmed Friday, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. of Poway, Calif., will sell an undisclosed number of the robotic aircraft to the UAE armed forces for $197 million.

The agreement would mark the first time a non-NATO country has obtained the American-made technology, which has reshaped modern warfare. The deal has drawn scrutiny from critics who worry about the technology falling into terrorists' hands or being used by governments against their own citizens.

The UAE, notably the city-state of Dubai, has been a crossroads for banking, finance and technology as the nation emerged as an economic hub for the Arab world. It has only recently begun to tighten regulations to limit money laundering and other shady financial endeavors that attracted Islamic militants, drug smugglers and other traffickers.

450 British UAVs Have Been Lost Or Crashed In Afghanistan And Iraq

The Guardian newspaper is reporting That Almost 450 drones operated by the British military Have crashed, broken down or lost in action beens falling on operations in Afghanistan and Iraq over the last five years. The newspaper bases That on statistics released under Freedom of Information law.

More from the Guardian:

The Ministry of Defence disclosed for the first HAS the five time Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) systems used in the conflicts and the number perished That Have due to pilot error, technical faults or the undesirability of retrieving em from hostile areas.

The figures show the military HAS Reaper drone lost one since 2007 - it is the only UAV Hellfire missiles That Carries as well as monitoring and intelligence-gathering equipment. The drone, Which HAS beens not replaced, cost £ 10m.

The Patrouille Suisse will disappear from the aerial landscape from 2016

The Defence Minister Ueli Maurer expects to be without the services of the famous Patrouille Suisse in 2016. Formation aerobatic flight of Air Force enthusiasm for decades spectators in Switzerland and abroad.

The F-5E Tiger aircraft in the colors red-white air should disappear from the landscape, Maurer revealed through a committee meeting of the security policy of the National Council (SPC) on the Gripen aircraft. The Chair of the Committee Chantal Galladé (PS / ZH) confirmed this to the ats information published in the "Basler Zeitung" on Wednesday.

Ms. Galladé discussed the possibility of hiring older models Gripen in 2016 to ensure the transition between the F-5E Tiger and new Gripen aircraft. Mr. Maurer has not ruled out in the future to make occasional demonstrations of aerobatic flying with other devices. These would relate nonetheless more national colors.

Lockheed continues to upgrade Apache

Two contracts to produce continuous upgrading Apache U.S. Army helicopters Have Been Given to Lockheed Martin.

The awards - for upgrading of the attack helicopter's Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight / Pilot Night Vision Sensor - are worth $ 161.7 million and Ensure That Production at the company's Missiles and Fire Control's facilities in Florida will continue into 2016.

Work under the new contracts will include generation of 482 Modernized Day Sensor Assembly Modernized Laser Rangefinder Designator kits and spares.

"These two producing batches Represent our continued confidence in Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control to Provide a high-performing, high-quality, reliable LRFD for the AH-64D / E," Said Lt. Col. Steve Van Riper, U.S. Army Apache Sensors product manager of. "We look forward to our first delivery and fielding of this capability Subsequent."

The French navy team guns multitubes Dillon

Finally, modern light artillery! The Navy has acquired the U.S. company Dillon Aero M134 machine guns multitubes. This system has six carriages coupled 7.62mm capable of firing 3000 rounds per minute. Although not remotely operated and therefore require a servant, we imagine that the arrival of Dillon M134 is highly appreciated by the French sailors were forced to settle far for the defense at very short range, old "sprayers" type AN F1 from the 60s ...

Proven in many armed forces on land, sea and air (including the U.S. Army and the U.S. Navy), the American system, more powerful and accurate, significantly strengthens the self-protection of buildings, especially against asymmetric threats, such as attacks speedboats. The first units are equipped French frigate La Fayette type (two per building Dillon), for which the system could be very useful during their deployments off the coast of Somalia in the fight against piracy. The use of Dillon could then expand to other platforms, such as projection and command, where the Navy wants to strengthen self-protection.

Northrop showing ISR capabilities

Northrop Grumman says it's showcasing a full range of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance products this week in India.

The venue is the Aero India 2013 exhibition and air show in Bengaluru The program is organized by the Organization and Defense Exhibition begins Wednesday.

"ISR capability is critical to effective homeland security and our leadership in multiple-domain ISR Strongly positions Northrop Grumman to help create solutions for India's defense modernization," Said Mary Petryszyn, vice president, International, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems. "We are excited to offer our core capabilities to Advancing Indian naval, military and homeland security Priorities."

A major capability on show will be the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning system designed newly That couples Electronically Scanned radar with a matching suite of sensors, avionics, processors, software and displays.

Draws more partners Embraer KC-390 jet to

Brazilian manufacturer Embraer Defense has added more international partners to icts marketing program for KC-390, Said to be a cheaper alternative to Lockheed Martin's C-130J.

The C-130J tactical updates the Internationally renowned transportation workhorse C-130 Hercules, the four-engine turboprop military transportation aircraft That was designed and built by Originally Lockheed precursor to Lockheed Martin.

The fast-aging C-130, modified in more than 40 versions since it first flew in the 1950s, is still used by more than 60 nations worldwide goal the tactical air transport market HAS expanded with the entry of rivals. The Hercules family still claims the longest continuous run of Production Any military aircraft in history.

Vice President Biden: US Ready For Direct Nuclear Iran Negotiations

The United States is ready for direct talks with Iran if it is serious about negotiations, Vice President Joe Biden said on Saturday, backing bilateral contact many see as crucial to easing a dispute over Tehran's nuclear program.

Speaking at a security conference in Munich, Biden said Iran - which says it is enriching uranium for peaceful energy only - now faced "the most robust sanctions in history" meant to ensure it does not develop nuclear weapons.

"But we have also made clear that Iran's leaders need not sentence their people to economic deprivation and international isolation," Biden said. "There is still time, there is still space for diplomacy backed by pressure to succeed. The ball is in the government of Iran's court."

To date, fitful talks on Iran's nuclear program have been between Tehran and the EU's top diplomat representing six world powers including Washington. But analysts have suggested that with his re-election behind him, President Barack Obama might have more leeway to take on direct negotiations with Iran.

Thales opens Canadian center

A defense and security center to develop and showcase Thales Canada's technology for the country's military has been inaugurated in the province of Ontario.

The center is in Queen's University's Innovation Park in Kingston.

Thales said its initial focus will be on its continuing work for the Canadian army's Land Command Support System, including the design, development and support of the army's command-and-control system.

"The Innovation Park site will allow Thales to expand its support to educate; develop procedures, training packages, simulations and demos; and better plan user engagement activities at Canadian army sites," said Mark Halinaty, vice president and general manager of Thales Canada, Defense and Security.

Afghan air force must adapt post-ISAF, says Hammond

Ending the involvement of nations fighting Including the UK and the USA in Afghanistan's fight against the Taliban will require the nation to use the limited resources available to it, DESPITE issues currently facing two icts of key equipment areas.

"On air support, Including rotary, there is a Plan to Provide basic air capability to the Afghans through the Afghan air force," UK defense secretary Philip Hammond Told a House of Commons Defence Committee hearing on 23 January.

"It Would Be Goal nothing like the level of air capability que le ISAF [NATO-led International Security Assistance Force] forces, have. 'Em That will require to adapt Their method of operations to the level of available enablers That Are for Them."

Hammond gave evidence to the committee days after discussing Afghanistan's nascent defense capabilities falling on a January 19 meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta in London.

Ultra Electronics Marine Systems Maintenance Work To Do On Victoria Class Submarines

The government has Announced award contract to Ultra Electronics Marine Systems Inc., Of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia for work on the NCR's submarines.

The $ 6.9 million contract covers maintenance work on the towed-array sonar on Canada's fleet of four Victoria-class submarines, selon the news release from DND. Carried out the work under this three-year contract.

Franco-British cooperation: a high-flying adventure

The Franco-British cooperation continues on his way. Recently, two significant events have illustrated the strong links between the Air Force and the Royal Air Force (RAF).

February 1, 2013, General Denis Mercier, Chief of Staff of the Air Force (CEMAA) and its counterpart AirChief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton, WOD co-signed (Of Objectives Directive - Directive annual performance) City of air and air base 117, Paris. This document, updated every year, nearly 80 joint projects between the two air forces.