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
American company OpenAI has established Stargate, a new company which plans to invest some US$500 billion ($803 billion) over the next four years building new Artificial Intelligence (AI) infrastructure in the USA. The company, which two years ago released its…
Stratford, Connecticut-based Sikorsky has begun ground runs of a UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter powered by two GE Aerospace 3,000shp T901 Improved Turbine Engines (ITE). The initial light off and ground runs were executed by a combined US Army and industry…
The Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) has selected the MQ-35 V-BAT Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS), manufactured by San Diego-based Shield AI, as Japan's first-ever maritime-based autonomous Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) platform. V-BAT will provide advanced ISR capabilities to…
The latest iteration of the Razer Low-Cost Precision Guided Munition (LCPGM) has been successfully flight tested according to its manufacturer, BAE Systems Australia. The LCPMG incorporated refined aerodynamics and onboard systems, the company says, and the fast-tracked trials program was…
Defence is investing $61.5 million with two undisclosed companies, in Adelaide and Brisbane, to support the rapid development of technology to degrade an adversary’s Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) systems. Developed under the Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator’s (ASCA) Mission…
Defence is investing an additional $262 million in a series of grant programs intended to support local industry capability uplift and develop Australia’s nuclear-powered submarine supply chain. This will be one of the greatest industrial endeavours in Australian history, says…
Adelaide-based Codan Communications will deliver the Sentry Mesh 6161 radio into the Melbourne-based Sypaq Systems CorvoX Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS) under a $15 million contract awarded by the ADF. The contract is being awarded under the aegis of project DEF129 Uncrewed…
California-based Anduril Industries has named Columbus, Ohio, as the location of Arsenal-1, its first hyperscale manufacturing facility. Construction will begin shortly and the first manufacturing operations will take place in 2026. The foundation of Arsenal-1 is Arsenal OS, an integrated…
Californian company Anduril Industries has been awarded US$14.3 million ($23 million) by the US Department of Defense under Title III of the Defense Production Act (DPA) to expand the United States’ Solid Rocket Motors (SRM) industrial base. Strained munitions production…
Thales Australia will build more than 40 Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicles – Medium (PMV-M) in Bendigo, under a contract worth more than $100 million. These additional Bushmasters will be used by the Army’s second long-range fires regiment, 15 Regiment, to…
