DARPA Archives - The Debrief

DARPA is Developing Stealthy Undersea Propulsion Tech to Silently Drive Next Generation Military Watercraft

Micah Hanks·May 24, 2023

DARPA has announced a new program aimed at developing unique electrode materials that can be used to produce a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) drive for the U.S. military.

DARPA is Planning to Unleash New Extreme Heat Sensors That Could Revolutionize the Defense Industry

Micah Hanks·May 16, 2023

DARPA has announced it is developing a new variety of microelectronic sensors capable of maintaining high bandwidth and high-dynamic range even in the hottest environments.

Introducing the X-65: DARPA Reveals New Name and Concept Art of Its Innovative X-Plane Aircraft

Micah Hanks·May 16, 2023

DARPA has announced the official designation of its innovative new X-plane, the X-65, along with new conceptual images it shared on social media.

Pentagon Launches Classified Program To Reverse-Engineer and Exploit Emerging Tech and Cyber-Physical Systems

Tim McMillan·April 5, 2023

The DoD has launched a new classified program to find ways to both attack and defend emerging technologies and cyber-physical systems.

This Little Quantum Light of Mine

This week on The Debrief Weekly Report...The DARPA Liberty Lifter, A Particle Accelerator Breakthrough, and Controlling the Chaos of Light

MJ Banias and Stephanie Gerk·March 24, 2023

Join Stephanie Gerk and MJ Banias this week as they discuss the latest news from The Debrief, including whether DARPA can make a giant double-decker airplane.

The U.S. Air Force and DARPA Successfully Fly Lockheed Martin’s Hypersonic HAWC Scramjet

Christopher Plain·March 24, 2023

As a final phase of its HAWC hypersonic missile program, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency

DARPA Wants to Revolutionize Amphibious Warfare By Developing An Entirely New Class of Flying Boat

Tim McMillan·March 21, 2023

DARPA announced it is moving forward with plans to develop an entirely new class of flying boat for use in amphibious military operations.

DARPA “Whisper Beam” Will Recharge Drone Swarms Mid-Flight

Chrissy Newton·March 17, 2023

Robert Millman joins Chrissy to discuss the DARPA "Whisper Beam” and the future of faster, cleaner, quieter, and more economical travel.

DARPA Funded Electric Sky on Threshold of Aviation Revolution with Whisper Beam

Christopher Plain·March 15, 2023

Funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the folks at Electric Sky are moving closer to revolutionizing electric aviation by making its Whisper Beam power-beaming system a reality.

AI-Controlled Fighter Jet Takes Flight, Marking an Unprecedented Breakthrough in Autonomous Aviation

Tim McMillan·February 16, 2023

In a historic first, an AI-controlled fighter jet racked up more than 17 hours of flight time while autonomously executing advanced fighter maneuvers, including simulated aerial dogfights.

Discover the Next Generation of Human-Machine Teaming: A Pioneering Company, XTEND, is Looking To Disrupt the Drone Industry

Tim McMillan·February 9, 2023

XTEND, a pioneering technology company, looks to revolutionize the robotics industry by developing the next generation of human-machine teaming.

Pentagon Secretly Working To Unleash Massive Swarms of Autonomous Multi-Domain Drones to Dominate Enemy Defenses

Tim McMillan·February 3, 2023

The Pentagon is secretly developing a new program to unleash thousands of autonomous drones to dominate enemy defenses.

Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Spacecraft May Carry Humans to Mars, as U.S. Announces First Testing in 50 Years

Micah Hanks·January 26, 2023

A nuclear thermal rocket is under development by the U.S., which could produce a spacecraft capable of manned missions to Mars.

DARPA Selects Boeing’s Aurora for Potentially Game-Changing X-Plane

Christopher Plain·January 4, 2023

DARPA has selected Boeing subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences to design and possibly build a potentially game-changing X-plane.

DARPA Is Engineering Plants to Help Clean Soil Contaminated by Explosive Chemicals

The Ceres Project Will Automate Soil Remediation with Bioengineered Plants

MJ Banias·November 15, 2022

A new DARPA program wants to remediate soil contaminated with explosives and aircraft fuel using bioengineered plants.

Preliminary Assessment: The Pentagon’s New UAP Investigative Group

Micah Hanks·November 25, 2021

This week, we examine the DoD's all new UAP investigation effort, the Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group.

Meet The Man Behind NASA and DARPA’S Warp Drive Programs

Part 1 of an Exclusive Interview with Dr. Harold G. “Sonny” White, the Grand Duke of Breakthrough Propulsion.

Christopher Plain·September 15, 2021

Sonny White left NASA in 2018, taking his Warp Drive theories with him. Now, he's given The Debrief an exclusive interview about his work.

DARPA’s Latest Gremlins Drone Will Cause Some Serious Mischief

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. The Drone Swarm You Can Use Over and Over

Candy Chan·July 2, 2021

DARPA's Gremlins program is developing reusable air-launched drones that could carry small bombs and could raise some serious hell.

DARPA Develops AI Sarcasm Detector (Just What We Needed)

Tim McMillan·May 12, 2021

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, better known as DARPA, recently announced the successful demonstration of an advanced...

DARPA’s DRACO Program: The Future of Nuclear Propulsion in Space

Micah Hanks·April 21, 2021

DARPA has awarded contracts for Phase One of its DRACO program; this week we analyze the heavy-hitting space companies it has chosen to create its future nuclear thermal propulsion systems.

New DRACO Program Will Use Nuclear Propulsion For Future Lunar Missions

MJ Banias·April 13, 2021

DARPA recently awarded $22 million to San Diego-based General Atomics to design a mini nuclear reactor for space propulsion.

EmDrive Propulsion Inventor Defiant in Face of Failed Tests

University research team used flawed designs that would guarantee failure, says EmDrive inventor.

Christopher Plain·April 9, 2021

University researchers recently said the EmDrive propulsion system would never work. The inventor of the drive says they screwed up.

DARPA is Fighting Hackers by Building The ‘Unhackable’ Computer Chip

Jazz Shaw·March 29, 2021

DARPA is working to put hackers out of business, particularly for America's defense industry, by building the "unhackable" computer chip.

Instant ‘Vaccine-in-a-Box’ is DARPA’s Solution to A Future Viral Outbreak

Christopher Plain·March 24, 2021

GE Research and DARPA want to build a "vaccine-in-a-box" to speed vaccine development from months to hours to prevent a future outbreak.

DARPA Will Use Marine Life to Spy on Enemy Subs

Tim McMillan·March 16, 2021

With PALS, DARPA is turning the sensors towards marine life in hopes of recruiting them as underwater spies.

DARPA Wants To Buy Your Best Jetpack Ideas

Jazz Shaw·March 15, 2021

A recent U.S. DARPA initiative seeks innovative research submissions to aid in developing jetpack technology.

UK Launching “high risk” Scientific Agency ARIA to take “great leaps into the unknown”

ARIA To Rival US Based DARPA In Developing Cutting-Edge and Novel Technology.

MJ Banias·February 19, 2021

The UK has just announced the spending of £800 million over five years on ARIA, a "high risk" science agency designed to take "great leaps into the unknown."