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
Defence has awarded more than $17 million to 44 Australian businesses in the latest rounds of the Defence Industry Development Grants (DIDG) program. The DIDG program continues to provide matching grants of up to 50 per cent to eligible Australian…
The UK Ministry of Defence (UK MoD) has shortlisted seven companies to develop Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) designs to operate alongside British Army AH-64E Apache attack helicopters. The UK ordered 50 Apaches in 2024 and all have been delivered. Under…
US defence prime contractor L3Harris Technologies has delivered the first of four MC-55A Peregrine aircraft to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The Peregrine, which marks a major milestone in strengthening Australia’s sovereign defence capability, is an airborne Intelligence, Surveillance,…
The Australian Army has tested Counter small Uncrewed Aerial System (C-sUAS) capabilities acquired under Project LAND156 at its Cultana Range urban training facility in South Australia. EX Southern Arrow 25 the Army culminated in a successful live-fire demonstration. This was…
Sydney based DroneShield has been selected for Defence’s Project LAND 156 Counter small Uncrewed Aerial System (C-sUAS) Services Line of Effort 3 Standing Offer Panel. The Panel arrangement enables Defence to procure DroneShield’s C-sUAS services through selective and limited tender…
Canberra-based Electro Optic Systems Holdings Limited, EOS, has announced an agreement to acquire the UK-based MARSS group business for US$36 million ($54 million); subject to customer, regulator and other approvals the sale should be completed this year. MARSS is a…
Northrop Grumman has won a contract of undisclosed value to develop a Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) from the US Marine Corps’ Marine Air-Ground Task Force Uncrewed Expeditionary Tactical Aircraft (MUX TACAIR). This award, the company says, combines Northrop Grumman’s uncrewed…
French AI and Mine Countermeasures (MCM) specialist Exail has announced a €40 million ($70 million) order from the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA). for several hundred additional K-Ster mine neutralization vehicles. This order is part of the framework agreement…
At the end of 2025 Sydney-based DroneShield announced it had won two export contracts worth $14.4 million to deliver situational awareness and handheld counter Uncrewed Aerial Systems (C-UAS) to customers in Europe and the Asia-Pacific. The European contract, worth $8.2…
Adelaide-based BAE Systems Australia has sold its stake in Perth-based aerospace company Innovaero Pty Ltd to previous owner Aerovation Pty Limited for an undisclosed sum. Innovaero says this transition to full Australian ownership marks a significant milestone in establishing a sovereign…
