Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency - DARPA

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency - DARPA Official page of the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)

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DARPA's mission is to prevent and create strategic technological surprise by maintaining the technological superiority of the U.S. The Agency sponsors revolutionary, high-payoff research bridging the gap between fundamental discoveries and their military use.

06/17/2026

What if we could turn economic complexity into strategic understanding?

In the latest episode of "Voices from DARPA," David Rushing Dewhurst, Ph.D., program manager in the Information Processing Techniques Office (IPTO), discusses how economics, data science, and national security intersect.

Discover how two of his programs, NASCENT and A3ML, are developing tools for economic and financial decision-making: one focused on establishing a principled theoretical foundation for geoeconomics and the other on eliminating global money laundering.

Listen now: https://ow.ly/93q350ZbRpO

How often do you get the chance to watch a DARPA challenge unfold live?This August, watch real aviation experiments push...
06/15/2026

How often do you get the chance to watch a DARPA challenge unfold live?

This August, watch real aviation experiments push the limits of drone technology at the , a national competition designed to reinvent vertical and heavy-lift flight.

For four days, teams from across the country will put their designs to the test in front of a live audience, attempting to fly drones weighing less than 55 pounds while carrying payloads four times their weight or more over a demanding course.

Hosted at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, it's part competition, part research experiment, and a rare opportunity to see a DARPA Grand Challenge happen in real time. Admission is FREE and open to the public.

Plus, your registration includes access to Flite Fest, a family-friendly RC aviation festival featuring flying demonstrations, STEM activities, DIY builds, and hands-on experiences for all ages.

📅 Aug. 6–9, 2026
📍 National Museum of the U.S. Air Force

🎟️ Space is limited — reserve your free Eventbrite ticket today: https://ow.ly/ysLT50Zc0yr

Don't just read about innovation after it happens. Be there to watch it happen live.

Announcing the DARPA Lift Challenge teams! 💪We've invited our first tranche of teams to compete in the DARPA Lift Challe...
06/08/2026

Announcing the DARPA Lift Challenge teams! 💪

We've invited our first tranche of teams to compete in the DARPA Lift Challenge this August. We expect this number to grow in the coming weeks with our second and final tranche, so stay tuned!

See the full list: https://ow.ly/WeKP50Z90sH

06/02/2026

What does it take to solve the most urgent national security and economic challenges? At DARPA, it starts with questioning past assumptions. 🎙️

In our latest podcast episode, hear directly from agency leadership on the strategic decisions behind reshaping two of our technical offices. Leaders from the Multi X Office (MXO) and the Information Processing Techniques Office (IPTO) explain how these organizational pivots will help us tackle massive-scale problems.

Listen now: https://ow.ly/qIbG50Z6K5N

05/29/2026

This summer, BYOB — Bring Your Own Binoculars — to the DARPA Lift Challenge, a national competition to reinvent vertical and heavy-lift aviation!

Join us Aug. 6-9, 2026, at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force to watch competitors demonstrate novel drone designs that are both lightweight and powerful.

After months of development, teams representing established companies, startups, universities, and garage-innovators will assemble for a “chase the leader” competition. Drones weighing no more than 55 pounds will attempt to carry four times their weight (220 pounds) or more over a demanding 5-nautical-mile course. Those with the highest payload-to-weight ratios and novel designs will win $6.5 million in prizes.

This free outdoor event is open to the public and is co-located with Flite Fest, a family-friendly festival that features DIY drone projects, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) activities, and RC aerial combats.

Register today to secure your spot: https://ow.ly/6leC50Z58rk

05/28/2026

Blood refrigeration drastically limits trauma care. We are changing that. 🩸

Building on our FSHARP breakthroughs, DARPA’s RAPIID program is moving synthetic blood out of the lab and scaling it for FDA approval.

The vision: A safe, shelf-stable blood analog that fits in a combat medic's pack or rural ambulance ready to reconstitute and save a life.

A successful artificial whole-blood equivalent won't just revolutionize combat medicine, it will transform disaster response and help to permanently bypass blood shortage crises.

Read more: https://ow.ly/1Ytm50Z5h4X

05/20/2026

New names. Enduring mission. Future focus.

DARPA’s I2O is returning to IPTO, honoring its legacy of catalyzing the infrastructure of the modern digital world.

MTO evolves into the Multi X Office (MXO), expanding its remit beyond traditional microsystems and individual components into integrated capabilities.

Read more: https://ow.ly/eYqH50Z2rC1

Round 1 results are officially in for the DARPA Bio Attribution Challenge! 🎉We are thrilled to announce the top performe...
05/11/2026

Round 1 results are officially in for the DARPA Bio Attribution Challenge! 🎉

We are thrilled to announce the top performers in the detection phase, who successfully identified and characterized pathogens within complex environmental samples:

🏆 First: Team Crits-Christoph & Hakim
🥈 Second: Treangen Lab, Rice University
🥉 Third: Pastor21 AI Inc.

Congratulations to these teams for their groundbreaking work in enhancing national security and public health. We look forward to seeing what the attribution phase brings!

Learn more and view the full leaderboard: https://ow.ly/ZyKp50YXMZY

In collaboration with the Air Force Research Laboratory - AFRL and Northrop Grumman Corporation, we flew the XRQ-73, a h...
05/06/2026

In collaboration with the Air Force Research Laboratory - AFRL and Northrop Grumman Corporation, we flew the XRQ-73, a hybrid-electric, unmanned experimental aircraft. ✈️⚡️

The flight occurred at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., in April 2026 as part of DARPA’s Series Hybrid Electric Propulsion AiRcraft Demonstration (SHEPARD) program.

This flight is a step forward in demonstrating the military utility of hybrid-electric propulsion.

Hybrid-electric propulsion architectures will drive the development of revolutionary new aircraft designs by offering a combination of fuel efficiency, reduced emissions, and enhanced operational flexibility.

Learn more: https://ow.ly/f36R50YVBra

Military working dogs protect our warfighters. Now, we’re asking industry to help protect them. 🐕🦺 DARPA is funding rese...
04/29/2026

Military working dogs protect our warfighters. Now, we’re asking industry to help protect them. 🐕🦺

DARPA is funding research for medical tech that works on both humans and K-9s — reducing the gear medics and handlers carry while saving lives.

Learn more & apply: https://ow.ly/n1Oy50YRSIm

📸: Michelle Thum | Public Health Command Europe

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