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
Applications are now open for DSTG’s innovative NAVIGATE program which aims to strengthen DSTG’s mid-career workforce and broaden the organisation’s diversity. The NAVIGATE program was launched In 2022 as a pilot for a bold action initiative designed to bolster Defence’s…
Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd has shown its IRON BEAM directed energy weapon system at IMDEX 2023 in Singapore. Rafael, alongside the Ministry of Defense’s Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR&D) has successfully completed a series of…
The US Navy has declared Initial Operational Capability (IOC) for its uncrewed Mine Counter Measures (MCM) System. The system consists of the US Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) MCM mission package (MCM MP) and Raytheon’s AN/AQS-20 Sonar Mine Detection Sets.…
Northrop Grumman Corporation’s Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) has achieved Initial Operational Capability (IOC) with the U.S. Army and is now ready to be fielded by U.S. Army units to further support the development of the system’s capabilities. IBCS is…
The Adelaide-based SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) is funding two PhD students to undertake an intensive ten-week internship at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California, USA. Aspiring space leaders Anne Bettens, from the University of Sydney, and Emily Ahern,…
The Department of Industry Science and Resources has allocated $4.6 million in grants to fund up to 20 PhDs in quantum technology. The Australian Quantum Graduates Program will award $3.6 million to CSIRO to fund the candidates. A further $1…
The US Air Force Research Laboratory’s AFWERX has awarded Los Angeles-based Exosonic, Inc a US$1.25 million Small Business Innovation Research Phase 2 contract to develop a digital design and trade study for a fifth-generation supersonic target. This contract was awarded…
Saber Astronautics has won a US Department of Defense contract to build a pipeline distributing commercial space applications to US Space Force (USSF) Guardians. The US$1.25 million Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Direct to Phase II contract will be Space…
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles and the Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy MP with Chief Defence Scientist Professor Tanya Monro announcing the establishment of the Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator. Image: Defence Defence will invest $3.4 billion…
Leidos Mayhem hypersonic missile. Image: Leidos Defence will invest $3.4 billion over the next decade to establish the Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator (ASCA). The new Accelerator will replace the Defence Innovation Hub and Next Generation Technologies Fund (NGTF), which the…
