DARPA

This article is about the US military research agency. For other uses, see DARPA (disambiguation).

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency

Headquarters in Ballston in Arlington County, Virginia in 2022
Agency overview
FormedFebruary 7, 1958; 66 years ago (1958-02-07) (as ARPA)
Preceding agency
  • Advanced Research Projects Agency
JurisdictionFederal government of the United States
Headquarters675 North Randolph St., Ballston, Virginia, U.S.
Employees220[1]
Annual budget$4.122 billion (FY2024)[2]
Agency executive
Parent departmentUnited States Department of Defense
Websitewww.darpa.mil

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is a research and development agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the development of emerging technologies for use by the military.[3][4] Originally known as the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA), the agency was created on February 7, 1958, by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in response to the Soviet launching of Sputnik 1 in 1957. By collaborating with academia, industry, and government partners, DARPA formulates and executes research and development projects to expand the frontiers of technology and science, often beyond immediate U.S. military requirements.[5] The name of the organization first changed from its founding name, ARPA, to DARPA, in March 1972, changing back to ARPA in February 1993, then reverted to DARPA in March 1996.[6]

The Economist has called DARPA "the agency that shaped the modern world," with technologies like "Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine ... weather satellites, GPS, drones, stealth technology, voice interfaces, the personal computer and the internet on the list of innovations for which DARPA can claim at least partial credit."[7] Its track record of success has inspired governments around the world to launch similar research and development agencies.[7]

DARPA is independent of other military research and development and reports directly to senior Department of Defense management. DARPA comprises approximately 220 government employees in six technical offices, including nearly 100 program managers, who together oversee about 250 research and development programs.[8] The agency's current director, appointed in March 2021, is Stefanie Tompkins.[9]

  1. ^ "About Us". Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. n.d. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
  2. ^ "Budget". Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. n.d. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  3. ^ Dennis, Michael Aaron (December 23, 2022). "Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency | United States government". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  4. ^ Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. "About DARPA". Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
  5. ^ Dwight D. Eisenhower and Science & Technology, (2008). Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission, Source.
  6. ^ "ARPA, DARPA, and Jason". Military Embedded Systems. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
  7. ^ a b "A growing number of governments hope to clone America's DARPA". The Economist. Vol. 439, no. 9248. June 5, 2021. pp. 67–68. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
  8. ^ "About DARPA". Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  9. ^ "Stefanie Tompkins Appointed 23rd DARPA Director". DARPA. March 15, 2021. Retrieved March 18, 2021.