DARPA is an acronym for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. It is also referred to as ARPA or the Advanced Research Projects Agency.
DARPA is the central research and development organization for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). It manages and directs selected basic and applied research and development projects for DoD, and pursues research and technology where risk and payoff are both very high and where success may provide dramatic advances for traditional military roles and missions. By doing so, DARPA furnishes DoD with leading-edge technologies to help the department execute its national security mission. DARPA often produces prototype systems for conducting experiments that address the urgent needs of DoD. If successful and as appropriate, such prototype systems are transitioned into operational use by executing agencies of the federal government.