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
The US Army’s 3rd Multi-Domain Task Force (MDTF) deployed a Typhon missile launcher Mid-Range Capability (MRC) to Australia and conducted an SM-6 live fire in July, successfully sinking a maritime target in support of EX Talisman Sabre 25. This was…
Canberra-based Northrop Grumman Australia has raised its hand as a potential manufacturer in Australia of Solid Rocket Motors (SRMs) for the guided weapons Australia plans to manufacture in-country. The company is vying with several competitors to establish an Australian Rocket…
The Australian Army’s 1st Armoured Regiment (1AR) has tested the Army’s experimental Modular Robotic Vehicle (MRV) with Remote Weapon Stations (RWS) and First-Person View Drones (FPVD), for the first time in a combat field environment. The MRV currently uses an…
California company Anduril Industries' Barracuda-100M Autonomous Air Vehicle (AAV) in May completed a series of successful flight tests for the US Army DEVCOM (Development Command) Aviation & Missile Center (AvMC) High-Speed Maneuverable Missile (HSMM) program. The HSMM program aims to…
French autonomy and navigation company Exail has secured a new contract with an undisclosed US-based global defence player. The agreement involves the delivery of 100 Phins Compact Inertial Navigation Systems (INS) to equip Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs). Offering highly precise…
Gold Coast-based Gilmour Space Technologies has completed the maiden test launch, TestFlight 1, of Australia's first locally designed and built orbital rocket. Although this first flight lasted only 14 seconds the company has described it as a major milestone toward…
The US Department of Defense, with help from industry, will ramp up production and fielding of drones, or Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UASs), to maintain battlefield superiority. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said at the announcement, at which some 18 US-made…
US prime contractor Northrop Grumman Corporation has named the first six strategic partners who will use its Beacon testbed ecosystem to rapidly test and deliver new autonomous solutions at scale. The initial partners are Applied Intuition, Autonodyne, Merlin, Red 6, Shield…
Sydney-based DroneShield, a global leader in counter-uncrewed systems (CUxS) technology, will participate in Project FlyTrap, a multinational defence initiative led by the US Army V Corps in Europe. This exercise, running from June to August 2025 in Germany and Poland,…
Brisbane-based Mirragin Consulting has launched its Mirragin Australian Drone Ecosystem (MADE) portal to connect Australian businesses, industry, and government with trusted drone and autonomous system providers. MADE is building a connected, national drone (or Uncrewed Aerial System - UAS) and…
