Director's Office

ATO   DSO   IPTO   IXO   MTO   SPO  TTO  J-UCAS


COMP   CMO   HRD   OMO

DARPA Technical Offices

The Advanced Technology Office (ATO) researches, demonstrates, and develops high payoff projects in maritime, communications, special operations, command and control, and information assurance and survivability mission areas. These projects support military operations throughout the spectrum of conflict. ATO adapts advanced technologies into military systems and also exploits emerging technologies for future programs. The ultimate goal is superior cost-effective systems the military can use to respond to new and emerging threats.

The mission of the Defense Sciences Office is to vigorously pursue the most promising technologies within a broad spectrum of the science and engineering research communities and to develop those technologies into important, radically new military capabilities. 

The Information Processing Technology Office focuses on inventing the networking, computing, and software technologies vital to ensuring DOD military superiority.

The Information Exploitation Office develops sensor and information system technology and systems with application to battle space awareness, targeting, command and control, and the supporting infrastructure required to address land-based threats in a dynamic, closed-loop process. IXO leverages ongoing DARPA efforts in sensors, sensor exploitation, information management, and command and control, and addresses systemic challenges associated with performing surface target interdiction in environments that require very high combat identification confidence and an associated low likelihood for inadvertent collateral damage.

The Microsystems Technology Office mission focuses on the heterogeneous microchip-scale integration of electronics, photonics, and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). Their high risk/high payoff technology is aimed at solving the national level problems of protection from biological, chemical and information attack and to provide operational dominance for mobile distributed command and control, combined manned/unmanned warfare, and dynamic, adaptive military planning and execution.  

The Special Projects Office focuses on developing systems solutions, along with the required enabling technologies, to counter current and emerging threats. In the area of current challenges, SPO is focused on affordable, precision kill of movers, of emitters, and of concealed (including underground) targets. In the area of emerging threats, SPO focuses on active defenses against biological weapons, against proliferated, low-cost/low-technology air vehicles and missiles, and against GPS jamming. Supporting technologies include advanced sensors and radars, signal processing, and navigation and guidance systems.

The Tactical Technology Office engages in high-risk, high-payoff advanced military research, emphasizing the "system" and "subsystem" approach to the development of aeronautic, space, and land systems as well as embedded processors and control systems.

The Joint Unmanned Combat Air Systems (J-UCAS) Office is the DARPA activity charged with leading the DoD effort to develop and demonstrate the Joint Unmanned Combat Air Systems. The J-UCAS program is a joint DARPA/Air Force/Navy effort to demonstrate the technical feasibility, military utility and operational value for a networked system of high performance, weaponized unmanned air vehicles to effectively and affordably prosecute 21st century combat missions, including Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD), surveillance, and precision strike within the emerging global command and control architecture.

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The Office of the Comptroller is the nucleus of "corporate" fiscal activities and prepares and submits the consolidated annual Agency budget, and also manages the planning, programming, and budgeting system process. COMP develops and implements the proper procedures and controls for program execution, maintains adequate program accountability documentation, provides for liaison with the General Accounting Office and the DoD Inspector General on audit activities, and serves as the Congressional focal point for the Agency. COMP also maintains a management information system to support DARPA requirements for accurate and timely fiscal, contractual, and programmatic information services.

The Contracts Management Office plans, negotiates, and awards contracts, grants, and agreements for select new-start technology projects and for consortium and other cooperative projects where innovative contractual arrangements may be desired. CMO also administers the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program.

The Human Resources Directorate provides civilian and military personnel management functions, including recruitment, hiring, billet and manpower allocation, civilian pay and benefits administration, and all personnel management actions.

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The Office of Management Operations provides administrative support to the Director, DARPA, Technical Office Directors, Program Managers, and the DARPA staff. OMO comprises four major functional directorates: Facilities and Administration; Human Resources; Information Resources; and Security and Intelligence. The responsibilities of each of these directorates are described below.

• Facilities & Administration plans, develops, and coordinates the administrative service functions of the Agency. This office supervises records management, technical information programs, the library, travel services, facilities management, telecommunications services, correspondence, public information services, video teleconferencing services, and supply functions; and serves as the liaison between the technical offices and the DARPA Agents. 
  

• The Information Resources Directorate is responsible for management of DARPA information services which include  finance, communications, records management, web site administration, and commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) prototyping and research.
  

• The Security and Intelligence Directorate plans, executes, and directs the information, personnel, industrial and physical security programs at DARPA and at specified contractor sites. This includes declassification management activities, the security classification management program, and the Communications Security Program (COMSEC). S&ID also formulates and implements security policy and procedures at DARPA and represents DARPA on security matters with external organizations.

Last Updated: September 10, 2004

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