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
Industry partners, BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce and MBDA UK, together with the UK Ministry of Defence, have revealed the design of the UK’s flagship Combat Air Flying Demonstrator (CAFD). The aircraft has reached a major milestone, with two thirds of its…
The US Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) XQ-67A, a second-generation Autonomous Collaborative Platform (ACP), has successfully demonstrated integration of government reference autonomy during a recent flight test in the California High Desert, says General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI). During…
UK company BAE Systems has launched a precision munition from a multi-rotor Uncrewed Air System (UAS) and successfully destroyed both air and ground targets during trials in the US. This marks a major step forward in the development of a…
In 2015 Lockheed Martin realised it need to more broadly engage international R&D opportunities. So it looked around the world for the site of its first non-US R&D centre and found it in Melbourne. Originally named the Lockheed Martin STELaRLab,…
The Australian Defence Force (ADF) says it will establish a purpose-built space workforce for its Joint Capabilities Group’s Space Command. The 2024 Defence Workforce Plan highlighted the need to recruit and retain highly‑specialised personnel for emerging capabilities, including space. To meet…
The University of South Queensland-based iLAuNCH Trailblazer, together with partners Optus, HEO, Inovor Technologies and Defence’s Science and Technology Group (DSTG), have announced plans to build, launch and operate a sovereign Australian Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite. This collaboration represents…
Sydney-based DroneShield Limited will invest $13 million in a significant R&D and manufacturing capacity expansion at its HQ and at a new site in Sydney. It will add 2,500m2 to the R&D centre at its Sydney HQ and open a…
Californian company General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc (GA-ASI) is partnering with Swedish defence prime contractor Saab to develop an autonomous Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) capability for the MQ-9B Remotely Piloted Aircraft, or Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS). GA-ASI plans…
The US Air Force says it has demonstrated a major leap in Man-Machine Teaming (MUM-T), flying Autonomous Collaborative Platforms (ACPs) alongside crewed fighter aircraft during a training event at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. Pilots operating an F-16C Fighting Falcon…
The US Army’s Program Executive Office Aviation, Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) Project Office has released a Sources Sought Notification to identify commercially available low-cost, sovereign Small Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (SUAS). The Army is looking to field thousands of low-cost UAS…
