The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is the central research and development office for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). DARPA’s mission is to maintain the technological superiority of the U.S. military and prevent technological surprise from harming our national security. We also create technological surprise for our adversaries.
 |
| 2007 DARPA URBAN CHALLENGE |
Research is focused in a number of scientific disciplines including biology, medicine, computer science, chemistry, physics, engineering, mathematics, materials sciences, social sciences, and neuroscience. Our contracted researchers build information systems, aircraft, robots, spacecraft, microcircuits, lasers, sensors, rifles, advanced networks, medical devices, and much, much more.
DARPA research runs the gamut from conducting basic, fundamental scientific investigations in a laboratory setting to building full-scale prototypes of military systems. When a DARPA research program is completed, the technology is available to the military services and defense contractors for use in military systems.
DARPA Turns 50: A History of Innovation and Results
DARPA was established as a DoD agency in 1958 as America’s response to the Soviet Union’s launching of Sputnik. In the years since, DARPA’s freedom to act quickly and decisively with high quality people has paid handsome dividends for DoD in terms of revolutionary military capabilities.
Today, America faces completely different threats and adversaries than it did when DARPA was established in 1958, and the Agency continually evolves to reflect this changing national security landscape. DARPA’s proud history of achievement and its culture of excellence are testimony to the vital role the Agency has played in the nation’s security and technological superiority.
