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
US defence research agency DARPA has completed a first-ever flight of a UH-60A Black Hawk helicopter without anyone onboard. Under DARPA’s Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) program, Lockheed Martin subsidiary Sikorsky completed 30-minutes of uninhabited flight with the optionally…
The RAN’s Hunter-class Frigate Program has successfully completed its year-long System Definition Review (SDR), which defines how the Australian Combat System integrates into BAE Systems’ Global Combat Ship reference ship design. The company is prime contractor to build nine Hunter-class…
The Israeli Civil Aviation Authority (CAAI) has achieved a world first in certifying an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) for civil aviation, approving it to fly in civilian airspace like any other civilian aircraft and not restricting its flight to unsegregated…
The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications’ aviation technology partnerships program is open for applications. Applications close on 31 March. The Emerging Aviation Technology Partnerships Program will support strategic partnerships with industry, using emerging aviation technology to address…
The Sydney-based Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre has funded 24 projects launched by Australian manufacturing companies under a co-funding arrangement. The latest round of co-invested projects announced via the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC)-managed Commercialisation Fund will see Australia’s manufacturing industry contribute…
Silentium Defence will trial integration of its disruptive passive radar surveillance sensors on airborne platforms, initially targeting small to medium drones and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). The trials, believed to be an industry world-first, will leverage the unique size, weight,…
Australia’s air traffic management provider, Airservices Australia, has partnered with space services company Skykraft to support the development of a space-based communication and surveillance air traffic management capability. Under the collaboration, Airservices will share its air navigation, technical engineering and…
DroneShield’s counter-drone and counter–autonomous system Sensor and Command-and-Control platforms are now fully compliant with the U.S. Government’s Team Awareness Kit (TAK), the company has announced. The TAK system, originally developed by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), is used…
The Australian Department of Industry, Science Energy and Resources (DISER) has awarded grants worth more than $1.2 million to three projects under the fourth round of the Moon to Mars Supply Chain Capability Improvement Grants program. One of them is…
DroneShield has announced an enhancement of its AI engine through the release of updated RF Detection device firmware. The instruments improved include the RfPatrol, RfOne and DroneSentry-X drone detection and tracking platforms. The updates will be rolling out across DroneShield devices globally…
