What if the advantage isn’t in the parts, but in how everything connects?
A new chapter is taking shape.
Keep your eyes and ears open.
Subscribe to the Microsystems Technology Office (MTO) newsletter. Link in bio. ☝️
In collaboration with the @afresearchlab and @northropgrumman , we flew the XRQ-73, a hybrid-electric, unmanned experimental aircraft. ✈️⚡️
The flight occurred at @edwardsairforcebase , 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.
Link in bio to learn more. ☝️
When your badge expires and it's time to leave DARPA, you're not making an exit. You're graduating and celebrating your achievements as you lean into your next adventure.
As Anne and all our program managers experience, you become part of a prestigious innovation ecosystem where connections are everything. The relationships are informal; the long-term, groundbreaking impact is legacy.
Link in bio to watch the full videos. ☝️
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.
Visit the link in our bio to learn more. ☝️
📸: Michelle Thum | Public Health Command Europe
"You want to be here ... you want to come to DARPA." 💡
What started as a physics major's curiosity turned into a mission to revolutionize battlefield medicine. After seeing a DARPA-funded robotic arm in action, Lt. Col. Adam Willis, M.D., U.S. Air Force, made a cold call that altered his career path. Now, he's a program manager driving groundbreaking therapeutics and autonomous surgical tools to save lives when evacuation isn't an option.
Hear the full story on our new "Voices from DARPA" episode. Link in bio. ☝️
IT'S TIME TO GET amped FOR AMPED: Area-Multiplied Photonic-crystal Enhanced Devices
We want to combine novel photonic structures with advanced materials to create an entirely new class of lasers.
Don't miss AMPED's in-person Proposer's Day on May 13. (registration deadline: April 29)
ZERO SUGAR, ALL POWER. #AMPED4AMPED
https://www.darpa.mil/events/2026/proposers-day-amped
"What starts here changes the world." 🌎
For Mike Feasel, a program manager at DARPA, this is more than a motto: it's the mission. His career was sparked by a five-minute discussion in a chemistry lecture and a Nicolas Cage movie, leading him on an unexpected path to the forefront of national security innovation.
Visit the link in our bio to listen to our full "Voices from DARPA" episode. ☝️
A major milestone for autonomous aviation! 🚁
We successfully transitioned the autonomous flight system developed under the ALIAS program to the U.S. Army.
Today, an optionally piloted H-60Mx Black Hawk equipped with Sikorsky MATRIX™ autonomy is now advancing to operational testing — marking a pivotal moment in the Army's push to build a safer, smarter, and more versatile helicopter fleet for the future.
@jblegram
New venue 📍 Bigger challenges 🦾 Same mission: Save more lives.
We took away valuable insights from Workshop Event 3 at the #DARPATriageChallenge. Now, we’re gearing up for the finals this fall, where teams will compete for a grand prize of $1 million.
@teexagency@teexfire
Introducing our latest X-Plane, the X-76! ⚡
As part of a joint effort with USSOCOM on the SPeed and Runway INdependent Technologies (SPRINT) program, this experimental aircraft is being built by @bellflight to eliminate one of the battlefield's most difficult choices – between the high speed of an aircraft that needs a runway and the go-anywhere flexibility of a slower helicopter.
And that number is no coincidence. In honor of the country’s 250th anniversary, it’s a deliberate nod to the revolutionary spirit of 1776.
Think you need multiple Ph.D.s just to get in the door at DARPA? 🤔 Think again.
In our latest podcast episode, we sit down with six alumni for a candid debrief on what it really takes to succeed at the agency and beyond.
They pull back the curtain on the myth that DARPA is just for "mad scientists" and reveal the truth: it's about curiosity, grit, and the drive to build impossible things.
Listen now: https://www.darpa.mil/news/podcast/change-world-90
What better place to showcase aviation history in the making than at the world's largest and oldest military aviation museum! ✈️💪
We’re excited to share that the @afmuseum , located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, will host the DARPA Lift Challenge this August.
We’re inviting the public to watch Challenge competitors demonstrate small drones lifting more weight than previously thought possible. And we’re co-locating with Flite Fest, a popular radio-control aviation event for all ages.
#WhatsYourRatio #DARPALiftChallenge #Drones
