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
Defence’s Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator (ASCA), in partnership with the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) in the United Kingdom and the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) in the United States, is providing advance notice of the AUKUS Maritime Innovation Challenge 2025.…
Canberra-based Raytheon Australia has delivered the Electronic Warfare Tactical Engagement (EWTE) vehicle from its Adelaide site to fast-track the innovation of local and national EW solutions. The vehicle is designed to assist local defence industry and researchers to test and…
A fully operational, Australian-made nanosatellite has been launched from the United States into low-Earth orbit. Buccaneer Main Mission is the second of two CubeSats launched launched by Defence’s Science and Technology Group (DSTG)under the Buccaneer project, following the successful launch…
Canberra-based Lockheed Martin Australia delivered the first ‘drop’ of operational capability for Project AIR6500 Ph2A - Joint Air Battle Management System (JABMS) in late-December, as planned, to Defence’s Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group (CASG) in Canberra. The Material Release 1…
Just before the end of 2024 the RAAF received the last nine of 72 F-35A Lightning IIs it has ordered from Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth. That is as much as the Australian government says the RAAF needs. The stated…
The Canadian Department of National Defence will acquire a version of the Jindalee Operational Radar Network (JORN) to watch its northern Arctic approaches. It will acquire the JORN system from Australian prime contractor BAE Systems Australia in a C$6 billion…
An AI tool developed by Adelaide-based Nova Systems has made its first public appearance at a Test and Evaluation (T&E) Advanced Practitioners Course delivered in conjunction with the Australian Maritime College in Launceston, Tasmania. The AI tool processes and examines…
Australia will manufacture guided missiles and 155mm artillery shells in-country from 2025, with Australia and the United States signing two memoranda of understanding. The Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) Co-Assembly agreement enables the assembly of a first batch of munitions in…
British sailors and essential infrastructure will be better protected following delivery of the first end-to-end autonomous, unmanned UK mine hunting vessel, RNMB Ariadne, under a contract worth some £184 million ($376 million). UK’s first Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) vessel capable…
QinetiQ Australia has successfully demonstrated a prototype of its scaleable high power laser optical chain at QinetiQ Laboratories (QLabs) in Adelaide, in collaboration with Defence’s Science and Technology Group (DSTG). Following the successful demonstration, QinetiQ and DSTG are closer to…
