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
Californian company Rocket Lab USA, Inc has revealed details about ‘Return On Investment’, the ocean landing platform for Neutron launchers returning to Earth for re-use ‘Return On Investment’ is a 122m modified barge that will be customised to enable landings…
Norwegian company Kongsberg has completed acceptance testing and delivery of the first HUGIN Superior Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) for the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and US Navy. The company’s Large Diameter Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (LDUUV) was delivered only one year…
Californian company Varda Space Industries' W-2 capsule safely returned to Earth at Southern Launch’s Koonibba Test Range in South Australia, completing a 45 day dual-purpose mission with payloads from the United States Air Force and NASA. The Koonibba Test Range…
Industry professionals from across Australia’s maritime and survey sectors gathered in Fremantle for the official launch of the USV Fremantle 1, a 12-metre Uncrewed Surface Vehicle (USV) built by EGS Survey Australia. The navigational autonomy for USV Fremantle is provided…
Medicine Hat, Alberta-based Landing Zones Canada has completed the development and flight test campaign for its latest innovation, the Eagle Advanced Payload Delivery System (APDS). The Eagle is the world’s first high-altitude balloon-launched APDS, combining high performance, low observability and…
The Brisbane-based Queensland Defence Science Alliance (QDSA) has awarded five 2024 QDSA Collaborative Research Grants (CRG) to teams from Queensland and the Northern Territory. The NT’s Charles Darwin University joined QDSA in July 2024. The five winning projects, between QDSA…
San Diego-based Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. and Israeli firm RAFAEL Advanced Defense Systems Ltd have announced the establishment of a US-based merchant supplier of Solid Rocket Motors (SRMs) and other energetics. The new joint venture, named Prometheus Energetics,…
Perth-based Blacktree Technology Pty Limited has teamed with European company Airbus Defence & Space and US firms ViaSat Inc and SMARTSAT to deliver UHF SATCOM (satellite communications) services to international customers. The teaming relationship was unveiled at the GOVSATCOM 2025 conference…
US defence prime contractor Lockheed Martin has demonstrated a scaleable, layered defence system designed to detect, track and defeat Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (SUAS). The company-funded exercise successfully demonstrated networked detection, tracking and mitigation of Small UASs, says Lockheed Martin.…
The Adelaide and Canberra-based Defence Trailblazer has launched a research project with CAE Australia and the University of New South Wales (UNSW) to develop a training methodology for Artificial Intelligence (AI) enabled systems. CAE Australia and UNSW will develop a training methodology for…
