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
Boeing and the U.S. Navy have completed a series of Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) flight tests in which a Block III F/A-18 Super Hornet successfully demonstrated command and control of three unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) of undisclosed type. Boeing system engineers…
Dragonfire, the UK’s Laser Directed Energy Weapon Programme (LDEW) led by MBDA, has begun a series of trials to prove the accuracy and power of the novel laser weapon. The first of these trials recently conducted at low power by…
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has held the inaugural Space Policy Dialogue between Australia and the Republic of Korea. The department’s Ciara Spencer, first assistant secretary for the Security Division, met with Korea’s director-general of Non-proliferation and Nuclear Affairs…
Raytheon Australia will provide the Army’s Force level Electronic Warfare System (FLEWS) under Project LAND 555 Ph.6, valued at some $75 million. Under this project the FLEWS will be installed in modified Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicles (PMV), said Minister for…
The US Air Force has conducted another successful flight test of a hypersonic AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon Booster off the Southern California coast, July 12. The Test was the 12th flight for the program and third release demonstration. The system…
Rocket Lab USA, Inc has successfully launched the first of two responsive space missions for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) from Pad A at its Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand. Developed in partnership with the Australian Department of Defence,…
Canberra-based Electro Optic Systems has announced a change of leadership, with the company’s co-founder and long-time Group CEO, Dr Ben Greene, stepping down from his current position and moving into the newly created role of Head of Innovation. That role…
A NASA Black Brant IX suborbital sounding rocket was successfully launched on July 11, 2022, from the Arnhem Space Center (ASC) in the Northern Territory of Australia. The payload was the Dual-channel Extreme Ultraviolet Continuum Experiment (DEUCE) for the University…
Rocket Lab USA, Inc. is introducing a Responsive Space Program designed to on-ramp commercial and government satellite operators to the Company’s 24/7 rapid call-up launch capability and streamlined satellite build and operation options. “Satellites are vulnerable to natural degradation, accidents,…
South Korea’s Agency for Defense Development (ADD) has successfully conducted an “operational demonstration” of the Anti-Submarine Warfare Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (ASWUUV) off the coast of Tongyeong, South Korea. “This Dual Operational Structure Will Be A Game Changer Which Alters The…
