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
Washington DC-based Liquid Robotics displayed its WaveGlider SV3 Block II Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) at Indo Pacific in an attempt to interest the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), but appears to have lost the initiative to Ocius Technologies’ Bluebottle family of…
Adelaide-based Saab Australia and Adelaide University have signed a Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA) as the next step in their ongoing relationship to support sovereign defence capability. The new partnership agreement between Saab and the University will focus on future capabilities…
QinetiQ Australia and Forcys Australia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen Australia’s sovereign capability in maritime assurance, ensuring undersea and autonomous systems are safe, reliable, and ready for operation. Under this agreement, QinetiQ and Forcys will work…
Four US and UK Defence prime contractors have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the establishment of an AUKUS Combat Systems Collaborative Team, positioning themselves for a potential role in Australia’s future SSN-AUKUS submarines. British company BAE Systems, US…
Californian company Anduril Industries has unveiled its Omen Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) Group 3 Autonomous Air Vehicle (AAV). This is designed to carry significant Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) and strike payloads a tactically relevant distance. The Omen will…
The Omen Group 3 Autonomous Air Vehicle (AAV) will be the first of many systems to be co-developed and locally produced by the EDGE-Anduril Production Alliance, says Anduril. The company describes Omen, which first flew in prototype form in 2020,…
US defence contractor Lockheed Martin has delivered its 750th HiMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) launcher to the US Army. The achievement comes as part of an urgent production jump, doubling annual production output from 48 to 96 launchers to meet accelerated demand …
California-based Anduril Industries and Korean firm HD Hyundai Heavy Industries have announced a partnership to design and produce a new class of dual-use Autonomous Surface Vessels (ASV) that combines HD Hyundai’s legacy in shipbuilding with Anduril’s speed-to-market, software-defined autonomy and…
Sydney based DroneShield has announced a further $7.6 million sale of its hand-held, Counter-Uncrewed Aerial System (C-UAS) products to the US Department of Defense. The company says it has received a package of 3 standalone contracts for handheld systems for…
New Zealand autonomy and uncrewed vehicle specialist Syos Aerospace demonstrated its mastery of both autonomy and the manufacture of uncrewed vehicles when it demonstrated control of its SM300 Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV), which was based in the UK, from Sydney,…
