DARPA Strategic Plan

Four "Future Icons" in DARPA's strategic plan will require particular involvement of MAS and MRS researchers:

Air Vehicles: unmanned air vehicles that quickly arrive at their mission station and can loiter there for very long periods

National Cyber Range: The National Cyber Range will provide an environment for realistic, qualitative and quantitative assessment of potentially revolutionary cyber research and development technologies

Persistent Surveillance Sensors: determine, track, and neutralize elusive threats, such as improvised explosive device factories

Networks: self-forming, robust, self-defending networks at the strategic and tactical level are the key to network-centric warfare; these networks will use spectrum far more efficiently and resist disruption if the GPS time signal is unavailable


DARPA currently emphasizes research in nine strategic thrusts:
Robust, Secure, Self-Forming Networks
Detection, Precision ID, Tracking, and Destruction of Elusive Targets
Urban Area Operations
Advanced Manned and Unmanned Systems
Detection, Characterization, and Assessment of Underground Structures
Space
Increasing the Tooth to Tail Ratio
Bio-Revolution
Core Technologies

http://www.darpa.mil/Docs/StratPlan09.pdf