[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 24 (Wednesday, February 7, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S700-S701]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        DARPA'S 60TH ANNIVERSARY

  Mr. REED. Mr. President, today I pay tribute to DARPA, the Defense 
Advanced Research Projects Agency, on the 60th anniversary of its 
inception. After the Soviet Union launched Sputnik I, President 
Eisenhower determined that the United States would never again be 
caught off guard by technological surprise. DARPA was established to 
anticipate new technological capabilities and pursue strategic 
technological surprise for our military forces.
  DARPA works collaboratively with academic institutions, corporate and 
government R&D labs, and small business enterprise. While the primary 
focus is to discover fundamental new concepts that lead to breakthrough 
technologies for national security, many of DARPA's advances also 
benefit greater society. Some well-known examples include precision-
guided weapons systems with miniaturized GPS components also found on 
many consumer products; the internet, used initially to link DARPA with 
performer partners, now widely used in commerce and every aspect of our 
lives; advanced antenna systems enabling more efficient warfighter 
communications and satellite signal reception for consumers; new 
breakthroughs in robotic technology for national security applications 
and the development of advanced prosthetic arms for wounded warriors 
and civilians alike. The list goes on.
  By not accepting the parameters of what is widely accepted as the 
known possible, DARPA has proven that amazing achievements can be had 
by stretching to reach for what was once deemed impossible. In the 
realm of national defense, DARPA has pursued new systems, including 
unmanned aerial and underwater vehicles, hypersonic flight research, 
and new frontiers in biomedical research. From the giant engines of the 
Saturn V rocket that took Americans to the Moon to the smallest 
microelectronics that populate our smartphones, DARPA has been ahead of 
the cutting edge of technological innovation.
  By focusing its efforts at the boundaries of fundamental research in 
physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, materials science, 
electronics, and engineering, DARPA has helped create new communities 
of scientists and engineers, both inside and beyond the traditional 
defense community. Along the way, new businesses and sometimes entire 
industries have sprung from DARPA-funded research, reflecting the 
Agency's commitment to pursue its ideas all the way from initial 
concept to demonstration of practical feasibility through prototype 
development.
  DARPA programs are led by program managers who come from 
universities, industry, national laboratories, and other parts of 
government for limited postings that typically last 3 to 5 years--a 
time limit that helps drive the Agency's signature sense of urgency. 
Recognizing that some revolutionary goals inevitably prove 
unachievable, DARPA carefully manages risk by establishing appropriate 
milestone procedures and redirecting or discontinuing programs when 
further advancement stalls.
  I congratulate DARPA for its many achievements over the past 60 
years. The true assets that enable this kind of achievement are the men 
and women who work to make the visions of tomorrow become today's 
reality.
  As DARPA moves into the future, I encourage my colleagues to join 
with me in recognizing this milestone and

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supporting DARPA so that it can continue to keep our warfighters and 
citizens at the leading edge of technology and out of harm's way.

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