Ross Wilkers
As the research arm of the Pentagon, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency seeks to be at the forefront of new technologies the military wants to use in defense of the country and for use on offense as well.
TheNewNewInternet in turn serves as Executive Mosaic‘s main hub for the latest inventions and other creations of GovCon firms, as well as partnerships between the companies and agencies to spur development of these new innovations.
In recent months, “TNNI” has highlighted several of DARPA’s programs as the agency has enlisted contractors for projects ranging from cybersecurity, weapons and defense against weapons of mass destruction.
One cybersecurity project featured on TNNI included a project DARPA has termed “Plan X,” which has sought the help of companies to help develop offensive cyber tactics and capabilities.
DARPA awarded an initial round of contracts for “Plan X” to Raytheon and Data Tactics, where Raytheon will develop a program will work to run preset cyberattacks through scripts and codes.
For its part, Data Tactics will be responsible for developing an infrastructure and framework intended to help conduct moves in the event of a cyberwar.
Four organizations from the private and academic sectors received contracts to join a DARPA program that seeks to develop methods for discovering improvised explosive devices in a seemingly unlikely source: dead animals.
BAE Systems, Quasar Federal Systems and the University of Arizona will work to develop technology that finds IEDs in the animals without touching them.
DARPA also added Northeastern University to the Methods for Explosive Detection at Standoff program.
The agency intends for the MEDS technology to detect the IEDs in a similar way doctors find breast cancer in patients.
LGS Innovations, the Alcatel-Lucent subsidiary that traces its heritage to Bell Labs, will develop laser technology that seeks to measure the distance from a target through illuminations.
DARPA aims for its Laser Radar Technology program to develop a system that illuminates the target and analyzes backscattered light as it determines the distance from a target.
