Innovation and R&D have always been the essential foundations of a strong, sustainable defence industry. Australia’s 2016 Defence White Paper, Defence Industry Policy Statement (DIPS) and Defence Integrated Investment Program (DIIP) acknowledge the importance of successful Defence R&D and innovation to the nation’s defence industry and thus to Australian defence policy. The 2020 Defence Force Structure Plan reinforced these foundations.
EX2 was set up by Dr Gregor Ferguson, a defence industry and innovation analyst and consultant, to make a useful contribution in Australia’s new and welcoming defence business environment.
EX2 helps innovators in Defence, the research sector and industry, and especially SMEs, by providing news and insight about innovation in Defence and adjacent sectors such as space, aerospace and resources.
Gregor Ferguson writes, teaches, advises and runs a national program designed to encourage and reward innovators in the defence, aerospace and maritime domains in both industry and the research and academic communities.
View his bio here (PDF opens in new window).
Dr Gregor Ferguson, Ph.D, BA (Hons), MRAeS
The MQ-28A Ghost Bat has completed three operational flight tests on the Point Mugu Sea Range at US Naval Base Ventura County, Point Mugu, California, to validate autonomous operations and demonstrate rapid deployment and sustained operations from an allied location.…
Defence has appointed engineering consulting firm AECOM Australia to undertake site characterisation studies of the site, waters and surrounding environment at the defence precinct at Henderson, Western Australia. AECOM will carry out environmental and ground studies across Western Australia’s Cockburn…
Swedish company Saab and California-based General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) have successfully completed the first flight of the world’s first uncrewed Airborne Early Warning (AEW) aircraft. Saab’s LoyalEye radar sensor was integrated with GA-ASI’s unmanned MQ-9B aircraft. The partnership…
Defence has appointed Air Vice-Marshal Glen Braz as the new Chief of Joint Capabilities, replacing the incoming Chief of Army, Lieutenant General Susan Coyle. Air Vice-Marshal Braz will be promoted to Air Marshal and start in his new role in July…
Defence has awarded three Australian companies awarded contracts to develop new undersea navigation technology and strengthened the nation’s ability to operate Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs). As part of Defence’s Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator (ASCA) Undersea Navigation Challenge, contracts worth $7.2…
Following a successful first flight in April, the US’s Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao has announced that the MQ-25A Stingray autonomous air refueller has received Milestone C approval to move into Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP). The milestone marks…
Defence has selected Northrop Grumman Australia as its preferred industry partner and will invest an initial $126.9 million to establish Solid Rocket Motor (SRM) production in Australia. Solid rocket motors provide the propulsion required for most guided weapons, and are…
Ms Meghan Quinn will become the next Secretary of the Department of Defence in succession to Mr Greg Moriarty who has been posted to Washinton DC as Australian Ambassador. Currently Secretary of the Department of Industry, Science and Resources, Ms Quinn brings…
Defence will spend $2.3 billion over the coming decade establishing a second long-range fires regiment and equipping it with the Lockheed Martin Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) and more M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HiMARS) launch vehicles. This is understood…
US prime contractor Boeing and the US Navy have successfully completed the first test flight of an operational MQ-25A Stingray™ autonomous aerial refueller. The milestone brings the Stingray closer to aircraft carrier operations and marks the beginning of a new…
