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 Navy’s Program Executive Office, Unmanned and Small Combatants (PEO USC), has awarded a series of contracts to facilitate autonomous Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Mine Countermeasures (MCM) Mission Package (MP) deployments. The MCM Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) is an…
The US Navy’s Director of Operational test & Evaluation (DOT&E) has confirmed in his annual report that the US Navy destroyer, USS Preble, successfully demonstrated a High Energy Laser (HEL), in a trial against an Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle (UAV) during…
Defence has awarded contracts worth more than $8 million to two Australian Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to develop Electronic Warfare (EW) technology under the AUKUS Innovation Challenge program. Defence has announced Canberra-based Advanced Design Technology (ADT) and Penten have…
Reading-based Cohort Plc, an independent UK technology group, has completed the acquisition of Australian satellite communication terminal specialist, Brisbane-based EM Solutions, expanding its naval defence offer and reinforcing the Group’s presence in Australasia. EM Solutions was previously owned by Canberra-based…
Adelaide-based AICRAFT will provide edge computing modules to Korean company CONTEC Space Optics (CSO), which is actually based in Luxembourg, for its advanced space telescopes. The value of the contract has not been disclosed. Through the partnership, AICRAFT will design…
Sydney-based Advanced Navigation a world leader in navigation and autonomous systems, has received a $856,077 grant from the Australian Government through the Australian Space Agency. The Moon to Mars Initiative: Supply Chain Capability Improvement grant will accelerate development of an…
Five Australian Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have won $3.6 million in Moon to Mars: Supply Chain Capability Improvement Grants from the Australian Space Agency. This grant program provides Australian businesses with funds to build their capabilities to deliver products…
Defence is investing up to $650 million to acquire additional stocks of the AGM-88G Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile-Extended Range (AARGM-ER) missile, which is designed to detect, attack and destroy enemy radar systems. The Defence announcement didn’t say when these weapons…
Airbus Defence & Space has launched the first of two SpainSat satellites, SpainSat NG-I, on a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, in the US. Operated by Hisdesat for the Spanish Armed Forces, the Satellite Communications (SATCOM) satellite operates in…
London-based Rolls-Royce has signed the eight-year, £9 billion ($18 billion) Unity contract which brings together all elements of research and technology, design, manufacture and in-service support of the nuclear reactors that power the Royal Navy’s fleet of submarines, including the…
