DARPA

@DARPA • 281,803 subscribers

Official account of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Follows/retweets/links do not = endorsement. Breakthrough technologies for national security.

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Blood refrigeration limits trauma care. We’re changing that. 🩸 Building on FSHARP, DARPA’s RAPIID program is scaling synthetic blood for FDA approval. The goal: A safe, shelf-stable blood analog in every medic's pack, ready to save lives &amp; bypass shortages.

We’re just one month away from the DARPA Lift Challenge at the National Museum USAF in Dayton, Ohio. Novel drones from over 100 teams will take to the skies in an attempt to shatter previous payload-to-weight ratio limits. Be there to watch this history-making event LIVE Aug. 6-9, 2026.

The USX-1 Defiant has set sail, beginning her extended at-sea demonstration of endurance and reliability. The ship reached the Pacific Ocean early this morning. Follow Defiant throughout her demonstration at:

Big TIME upgrade from our ROCkN program! ⏱️ GPS traditionally works in nanoseconds. ROCkN has achieved optical synch at femtoseconds, (1,000,000x faster) over hundreds of km, making it far more precise.

DARPA researchers make #quantum computing breakthrough creating first-ever quantum circuit with logical quantum bits (qubits), a key discovery that could accelerate fault-tolerant quantum computing &amp; revolutionize designs for quantum computer processors:

What if doctors could test treatments on a virtual version of you first? 🫀 The VITAL program is building “digital twins” of the human cardiovascular system to predict how patients may respond to care before it happens. Join us at the VITAL Proposers Day on March 31.

What does it take to solve the most urgent national security challenges? At DARPA, it starts with questioning past assumptions. 🎙️ Learn why MXO and IPTO leadership are reshaping their offices to tackle massive-scale problems in our latest podcast episode.

The #DARPALiftChallenge Contributor Portal is NOW OPEN! It's meant to connect U.S.-based companies with Challenge competitors. Companies interested in supporting the future of drone technology are welcome to advertise they resources they can contribute to the competing teams.

🎉 A huge shoutout to the 42 organizations who snagged AI BTO awards! 🚀 Our program managers can’t wait to team up and turbocharge scientific and tech innovation together! Read more in our original call for white papers:

Smart bandages on the battlefield? 🤯 Dr. Leonard Tender discusses the future of wound care on the latest Voices from DARPA podcast. #biotech #innovation #biomanufacturing

💡Now accepting submissions to NeuS 2025, the 2nd Intl. Conference on Neuro-symbolic Systems. Key topics: AI, ML, LLMs, Cyber-Physical Systems &amp; more. We're funding $100K to the top 5 most disruptive ideas. Submission deadline is Feb. 7.

Videos

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What new capabilities emerge from rearranging the building blocks of matter? In this episode of "Voices from DARPA," Program Manager Keith Whitener, Ph.D., discusses the inner workings of reaction mechanisms and how atoms and molecules behave at the smallest possible levels.

We want to REVOLUTIONIZE vertical-lift aviation. And YOU can BE THERE when it happens. The DARPA Lift Challenge is open to the public Aug. 6-9, 2026, at the National Museum USAF.

DARPA researchers make #quantum computing breakthrough creating first-ever quantum circuit with logical quantum bits (qubits), a key discovery that could accelerate fault-tolerant quantum computing &amp; revolutionize designs for quantum computer processors:

Join us in Dayton, Ohio, for the DARPA Lift Challenge from Aug. 6-9, 2026, to witness aviation history in the making as top innovators push the boundaries of drone tech. Check the comments to find the link to register to secure your spot!

Math is the source of enormous technological innovation and surprise, but it can take decades to make breakthroughs. Patrick Shafto is leading our new Exponentiating Mathematics program that will explore how AI can radically accelerate the rate of progress in mathematics.

The DARPA Debrief is in. 💡 Six former Program Managers debrief their time at the agency, sharing lessons on everything from managing breakthroughs to shaping the future of industry. Get their insights in the latest episode of Voices from DARPA.

Sneak peek: Our No Manning Required Ship (NOMARS) Defiant #USV is designed to operate for up to a year at sea without human intervention. In-water testing is preparing it for an extended at-sea demonstration of reliability and endurance. Stay tuned for more news soon!

"If it works, the world tomorrow looks different than it does today." 🌎 That's the driving mindset at DARPA. In our latest episode, Program Manager Mike Feasel explains how the agency tackles high-risk, high-reward research you can't do anywhere else.

We’ll announce the results and winners of the DARPA AI Cyber Challenge (AIxCC) on Friday at DEF CON 33. For more on the challenge, the teams, and the AIxCC Experience at the event, visit:

We recently marked a historic milestone with the christening of the USX-1 Defiant in Everett, Washington. Stay tuned as we follow Defiant’s progress on the open water.

If you missed it, you can now watch the full DARPA AI Cyber Challenge awards presentation from DEF CON 33 on

Join our DARPA Lift Challenge live virtual webinar on Dec. 4 for a detailed discussion about the competition before the application period opens in January. Visit for details and registration link.

Mapping Machine Learning to Physics aims to provide warfighters at the tactical edge “energy-aware” machine learning capability that balances performance with energy use. Seeking abstracts for ideas by Oct. 6.

🔥 More than a dozen quantum computing companies are entering Stage A of the Quantum Benchmarking Initiative! (QBI) To learn more please visit: #Quantum

Join us for the MASH Proposers Day on September 18 to learn how you can help pioneer breakthrough solutions that could transform combat casualty care.

Calling all mathematicians! We need novel advancements for science and security. We recently announced an Advanced Research Concepts (ARC) topic called COMPASS — Critical Orientation of Mathematics to Produce Advancements in Science and Security.

🛜 🪨 We developed machine-learning tools to automate and accelerate key, time-consuming parts of the USGS critical mineral assessment workflow. Resulting tools show promise in shrinking the assessment process to days compared to years using traditional methods.

We're working to reimagine U.S. manufacturing to be agile and scalable to respond to future needs. We want an array of stakeholders to share your ideas. Apply by Nov. 15 to join DARPA's "Freedom's Forge 2.0" workshop, Jan. 22-24 in Houston.

Our HALOVS portfolio is exploring fundamental science pillars to pioneer next-gen positioning &amp; navigation systems. The NIMBUS Disruption Opportunity is now open. Deadline: Dec. 20 Learn more &amp; watch technical overview videos at

How can we ensure robots using #foundationmodels, like LLMs, won’t “hallucinate” when executing tasks in complex, previously unseen environments? Our new SAFRON Advanced Research Concept seeks ideas to make sure #robots behave only as directed &amp; intended.

Blood refrigeration limits trauma care. We’re changing that. 🩸 Building on FSHARP, DARPA’s RAPIID program is scaling synthetic blood for FDA approval. The goal: A safe, shelf-stable blood analog in every medic's pack, ready to save lives & bypass shortages.

DARPA researchers make #quantum computing breakthrough creating first-ever quantum circuit with logical quantum bits (qubits), a key discovery that could accelerate fault-tolerant quantum computing & revolutionize designs for quantum computer processors:

💡Now accepting submissions to NeuS 2025, the 2nd Intl. Conference on Neuro-symbolic Systems. Key topics: AI, ML, LLMs, Cyber-Physical Systems & more. We're funding $100K to the top 5 most disruptive ideas. Submission deadline is Feb. 7.

DARPA researchers make #quantum computing breakthrough creating first-ever quantum circuit with logical quantum bits (qubits), a key discovery that could accelerate fault-tolerant quantum computing & revolutionize designs for quantum computer processors:

Our HALOVS portfolio is exploring fundamental science pillars to pioneer next-gen positioning & navigation systems. The NIMBUS Disruption Opportunity is now open. Deadline: Dec. 20 Learn more & watch technical overview videos at

How can we ensure robots using #foundationmodels, like LLMs, won’t “hallucinate” when executing tasks in complex, previously unseen environments? Our new SAFRON Advanced Research Concept seeks ideas to make sure #robots behave only as directed & intended.