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
Brisbane-based Boeing Defence Australia and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) have successfully completed demonstrations proving the operational viability of the MQ-28A Ghost Bat autonomous Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). The tests were completed four and a half months ahead of…
The US Navy has awarded four companies contracts of undisclosed value to design and develop armed Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCAs). A fifth company has won a contract, also of undisclosed value, to build a common control system. No in-service date…
The Royal Navy has made a delivery of supplies between warships using a Malloy T-150 quadcopter Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS) during its major 2025 Indo-Pacific mission. The UAS flew from flagship HMS Prince of Wales to destroyer HMS Dauntless during…
French firm Exail has made the launch sale of its new long-range Uncrewed Surface Vehicle (USV), the DriX H-9, to an undisclosed leading global hydrographic authority. This milestone marks the successful expansion of Exail’s portfolio of autonomous solutions for both…
Swedish defence prime Saab has signed a SEK 60 million ($9.75 million) contract with the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) for a Large Uncrewed Undersea Vehicle (LUUV). The goal of the project, led by FMV, is to develop a concept…
Although Leidos Australia has won the SIP role in Defence’s Project LAND156, US prime contractor L3Harris Technologies has launched its own Counter Uncrewed Aerial Systems (C-UAS) initiative. L3Harris says it is rapidly responding to the US Department of Defense and…
US firm BAE Systems Information and Electronic Warfare Systems has won a US$1.74 billion ($2.6 billion) contract from US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) to build 55,000 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS) 70mm rockets. The APKWS will be…
Swedish company Saab has revealed Nimbrix, its first ever dedicated Counter-Unmanned Aerial System (C-UAS) missile. The missile has been developed to counter the increasing threat from small UASs on the battlefield. The fire-and-forget missile is being rapidly developed at Saab…
California-based General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) has begun flight-testing its YFQ-42A Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), in coordination with the US Air Force (USAF). This continues the company’s rapid creation of new, jet-powered uncrewed platforms chartered by the USAF to…
Melbourne-based Leidos Australia has won the $45.9 million contract to be Defence’s Systems Integration Partner (SIP) in Line of Effort 1 of its Counter-Small Uncrewed Aerial Systems (C-SUAS) Project LAND156. The announcement by Pat Conroy, Minister for Defence Industry, comes…
