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 Australian Department of Defence has launched a Nuclear-Powered Submarine Propulsion Challenge in Australian high schools, providing a new generation of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) students the chance to win a trip to HMAS Stirling in Western Australia to see…
Adelaide-based Daronmont Technologies Pty Ltd has confirmed that an undisclosed United States Government customer has bought its ‘Stealth’ Passive Radar system. This represents the company’s first export sale of its passive radar technology. The value of the contract has not…
The Australian government’s Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group (CASG) has awarded Brisbane-based EM Solutions a $150 million contract to upgrade the Royal Australian Navy’s SATCOM systems across its existing fleet under Project SEA1442 Ph.5. The contract will modernise both the…
Three influential members of the US Congress, Joe Courtney, Gregory Meeks and Ami Bera, have introduced the AUKUS Undersea Defense Act, H.R. 3939, to enable the RAN to acquire the Virginia-class submarine. This bill supports the AUKUS Trilateral Security Framework…
US Senators Jim Risch and Bill Hagerty of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee have introduced the Truncating Onerous Regulations for Partners and Enhancing Deterrent Operations (TORPEDO) Act, legislation to enable operational and technology cooperation with the United Kingdom and Australia…
A Thales-supplied Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) has taken a significant step towards autonomous mine-hunting operations during trials in the UK. The USV, Royal Navy Motor Boat (RNMB) Apollo, completed a demanding series of Royal Navy and industry open water assurance…
Sydney-based DroneShield and Los Angeles-based Epirus, Inc have completed integration of DroneShield’s multi-sensor DroneSentry system with Epirus’ Leonidas High-Power Microwave (HPM) counter-electronics/counter-UAS effector. The integration of these two systems allows for a fully integrated C-UAS system that can track multiple threats and…
Northrop Grumman Corporation’s MQ-4C Triton Flying Test Bed (FTB) has demonstrated persistent long-range targeting during this year’s EX Northern Edge 2023 in Alaska. This demonstration highlighted Triton’s potential to enhance joint, distributed maritime operations, and further support sea-control in contested…
A US Army Research Laboratory-led project team investigating quantum constructs to revolutionize precision weapons has been named winner of the US$45 million 2024 Applied Research for Advancement of Science and Technology Priorities, or ARAP, program award, the US Department of…
OK, so Defence has acknowledged that Innovation is important enough that it should get some resources - how do you go about doing it? EX2 - For Defence Innovators has published the first in a series of articles about Defence…
