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
Indonesia will field 48 Turkish 5th generation KAAN fighters, manufactured by Turkish Aerospace, in a US$10 billion government-to-government deal announced during the INDO Defence 2025 expo in Jakarta. Deliveries will be complete, according to TAI, within 120 months; deliveries of…
Dusseldorf-based Rheinmetall and Californian company Anduril Industries have announced a strategic partnership to co-develop and deliver the Barracuda cruise missile, Fury Uncrewed Autonomous System (UAS) and an undisclosed selection of Solid Rocket Motors (SRM) for European defence. The partnership is…
Sikorsky and CAE are collaborating with the US Navy and Royal Australian Navy (RAN) to integrate, test and optimize the CAE Magnetic Anomaly Detection-Extended Role (MAD-XR) system for installation aboard the two countries’ MH-60R Seahawk helicopters. Designed and built by CAE…
Airbus Defence and Space has completed assembly of the first prototype SIRTAP - Airbus’ high-performance tactical uncrewed aerial system. The aircraft is ready to start ground-testing at the company’s facilities in Getafe, Spain. The ground testing, comprising structural evaluations, main…
US prime contractor Northrop Grumman Corporation has unveiled Beacon, its next-generation testbed ecosystem designed to rapidly develop and deliver new autonomous mission capabilities. Based on the Scaled Composites Model 437 Vanguard optionally manned aircraft, Beacon provides an integrated environment that…
Paris-based Airbus Helicopters has unveiled HTeaming, a brand new modular Crewed-Uncrewed Teaming (MUM-T) solution. HTeaming is a range of systems that allows helicopter crews to take full control of Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) in flight. The first version of HTeaming…
The French Ministry of Defence has signed a framework agreement with Paris-based Airbus Helicopters and Naval Group for the future acquisition of the Systèmes de Drone Aérien pour la Marine (SDAM: uncrewed aerial systems for the Navy). The agreement also…
European missile house MBDA has unveiled its One Way Effector (OWE), a long-range loitering munition able to be manufactured at scale. It is being developed in partnership with a drone manufacturer and other industry players, notably from the automotive sector,…
The Australian-made and designed autonomous Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), the MQ-28A Ghost Bat, has achieved a major capability milestone. In a capability demonstration at Woomera a single operator aboard an airborne E-7A Wedgetail took control of two Ghost Bat aircraft…
San Diego-based General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) announced at the Paris Air Show it is partnering with Swedish company Saab to develop an Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) capability for its MQ-9B Uncrewed Aircraft System (UAS), which includes…
