DARPA and JPEO-CBRND Formalize Collaborative Efforts to Support American Military Personnel

Today, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, and the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense, or JPEO-CBRND, signed a Memorandum of Understanding regarding the development and transition of countermeasures against CBRN threats.

The memorandum formalizes the ongoing need for early dialogue and collaboration between DARPA and the JPEO-CBRND across technology areas. This will continue to accelerate research and development of capabilities to ensure the Department of Defense is equipped to operate in CBRN contested environments.

“DARPA’s research portfolio includes a number of investments that address the challenge of weapons of mass destruction and terror from different angles to support detection, protection, and countermeasures,” said DARPA Director Dr. Steven Walker. “Our partnership with the JPEO will be critical to moving beyond proof of concept to fielding tangible defenses for our troops.”

This collaborative relationship enables technology transitions from DARPA to the JPEO-CBRND in the portfolios of:

• Physical Protection and Mitigation - technologies that prevent or reduce the negative impacts to personnel or military equipment that come into contact with CBRN agents;
• Medical Protection and Mitigation - medically-focused diagnostics, preventive measures, and treatments to ensure Warfighters remain healthy and operationally effective; and
• Integrated Situational Understanding - easy to use technologies that provide commanders with warning and actionable information about CBRN threats by detecting and identifying potential hazards—in air, water, on land, personnel, equipment, or facilities.

Advances in these areas ensure the U.S. military can maintain maximum readiness and lethality despite the threats posed by CBRN agents.

“By engaging with our DARPA colleagues in the early phases of CBRN countermeasure programs, we can smoothly transition those technologies over to the JPEO,” said Program Executive Officer for JPEO-CBRND Mr. Douglas Bryce. “We can then accelerate the advanced development and deployment of those critical capabilities to Warfighters, and ensure they are prepared and protected in any CBRN environment.”