Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Strategic Plan

Abstract

This document describes the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA) strategy, as required by Section 2352, Title 10 of the United States Code. It provides a top-level view of DARPA's activities for Congress, the research community, and various elements of the Department of Defense (DoD). This strategic plan describes DARPA's mission, business processes, research thrusts and objectives, and research projects that achieve the objectives. DARPA's original mission, inspired by the Soviet Union beating the United States into space with Sputnik, was to prevent technological surprise. This mission has evolved over time. Today, DARPA's mission is to prevent technological surprise for us and to create technological surprise for our adversaries. Stealth is one example of how DARPA created technological surprise. DARPA's mission is discussed in detail in Section 2. DARPA's strategy for accomplishing its mission is embodied in strategic thrusts. Over time, as threats and opportunities change, DARPA's strategic thrusts evolve. Today there are nine strategic thrusts, detailed in Section 3, that are key national security research areas building the foundations for innovative joint warfighting capabilities to defeat existing and emerging national security threats. DARPA's main tactic for executing its strategy is to constantly search worldwide for revolutionary high-payoff ideas and then sponsor projects that bridge the gap between fundamental discoveries and the provision of new military capabilities.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 01, 2007
Accession Number
ADA468784

Entities

Organizations

  • Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics
  • Air Platforms
  • Autonomy
  • Electronic Warfare
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Sensors
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircrafts
  • Artificial Satellites
  • Combat Areas
  • Command And Control
  • Computers
  • Contingency Operations (Military)
  • Detection
  • Information Systems
  • Military Applications
  • Military History
  • Military Organizations
  • Network Centric Warfare
  • Power Electronics
  • Semiconductors
  • Sensor Networks
  • Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Defense Technology Research and Development.
  • Strategic Security Studies

Technology Areas

  • Space