South Korea has reported some success with its Low-Cost Guided Imaging Rocket program and the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) said the guided 2.75 inch rocket could be deployed as early as next year.

By User:Dammit (Own work) [CC BY-SA 2.5 nl], via Wikimedia Commons

Source: Alert 5

Two optical spy satellites from the cancelled Future Imagery Architecture program may get a chance to go into space under NASA’s WFIRST-AFTA (the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope-Astrophysics Focused Telescope Assets) program.

Credit: NASA

If approved, one the former National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) satellite will launch as early as 2024. The other satellite will remain on the ground as an engineering testbed but it may eventually be recycled for a space mission.

Source: Alert 5

A rare Spitfire Mark 1 that was shot down over Dunkirk 75 years ago is going under the hammer at Christie’s ‘Exceptional Sale’ this July.

The warbird is only one of two of its type to be restored back to flying condition and is expected to sell for around £2.5 million.

Source: Alert 5

The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) has invented a new way of making transparent spinel, a mineral that is tougher, stronger, harder than glass.

U.S. Naval Research Laboratory/Jamie Hartman

The new material has many military applications: from protecting electrooptical sensors to powering next generation lasers. A key advantage is that spinel allows infrared light to go through it. This will reduce the costs of protecting infrared sensors by switching away from more exotic materials.

Source: Alert 5

Gripen program chief Jerker Ahlqvist told journalists that Slovakia had selected the Gripen and Saab hopes to sign the contract this year.

By Milan Nykodym [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Czech Republic, Croatia, India, Finland and Switzerland are potential markets for more Gripen exports, company executives said.
The company also revealed that a Mark 4 version of the PS-05/A pulse-doppler radar is now available.

Source: Alert 5

One of the F-2Bs damaged during the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami has been fully restored and arrived at its new home in Misawa Air Base on Apr. 21.

U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jordyn Fetter

It will be joined by five more restored aircraft that were previously deployed at Matsushima Air Base.

Source: Alert 5

The U.S. Air Force has finally revealed one of the tests it will carry out on board the X-37B.

By USAF [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

After liftoff next month, the secretive spacecraft will test a modified Hall thruster.

Source: Alert 5

The U.S. Government Accountability Office and the Pentagon Inspector General have raised issues with the F135 engine program.

By Georges Seguin (Okki) (Own work) [GFDL or CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

The GAO has deemed that the “reliability of the engine is very poor” and that “the program has a long way to go to achieve” reliability goals.
To make matters worse for Pratt & Whitney, the Pentagon’s internal watchdog found 61 violations of quality management rules and policies during an inspection.
Pratt & Whitney defended the program by saying that the GAO had failed to take into account new designs that have been validated and are being incorporated into the engine.

Source: Alert 5

A spokesman from Saab says his company will not negotiate with Argentina over the sale of Gripen fighters.

© Milan Nykodym, Czech Republic [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

“Nobody has asked us to do that and we are not considering it.”

Source: Alert 5