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
British engineers have successfully completed a stratospheric flight trial of BAE Systems’ High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (HAPS) Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS), PHASA-35. Over a 24-hour period, PHASA-35 soared to more than 66,000 feet before landing successfully. The trial, at Spaceport…
Raytheon and partner Northrop Grumman Corporation have been awarded a contract of undisclosed value from the Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Under the follow-on risk-reduction agreement, the Raytheon-led team will build and fly additional Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept…
A £2.5 billion ($4.77 billion) investment in stockpiles and a Global Response Force are behind a refreshed plan to improve the warfighting readiness of the British Armed Forces The UK’s Defence Command Paper Refresh (DCP23) takes learnings from the war…
A joint vision statement has been signed at the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford in England between the heads of the UK’s Royal Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, and the United States Air Force, setting out their…
The Melbourne-based Defence Science Institute (DSI) is promoting a call for proposals by the UK’s Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA). The Accelerator will be launching an “Autonomous sensor management and sensor counter deception” themed competition in July. This themed competition…
Adelaide-based Saab Australia has joined the Australian Maritime Alliance (AMA) as a key partner for the Army’s LAND 8710 Phase 1A Littoral Manoeuvre Vessel - Medium (LMV-M) program. At just over 45 metres in length, the proposed ‘Oboe’ design will…
Sydney-based Business news Australia has reported that Australian company DroneShield has won its second major international contract in the space of two weeks. The company’s latest deal with an undisclosed US Government agency is for DroneShield equipment and ongoing services…
The US Congress’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), to be voted on this week by the US Senate, now contains provisions enabling the Australia-United Kingdom-United States (AUKUS) agreement. The bill was passed by the Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee following negotiations…
Brisbane-based Rheinmetall Defence Australia Pty Limited will build 100 Boxer wheeled Heavy Weapon Carriers for the German Army under an in-principle agreement signed between the Australian and German Governments in Berlin on 10 July. The final agreement has yet to…
The Sydney-based Defence Innovation network (DIN) is inviting academics, defence scientists and industry representatives working in the Intelligence, Surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and related areas to a Workshop related to a $500,000 grant. The focus of the topic will be AV…
