SUBJECT-0095.dossier · institution · status: active
DARPA DA
subject of file

DARPA

Pentagon advanced research agency; defence AI pioneer
Tracked because Pentagon advanced research agency; defence AI pioneer · 34 documented connections
Editorial summary · AI-drafted from public records

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Pioneer of AI-enabled weapons systems and surveillance technology. DARPA is the upstream funder of technologies that companies like Palantir, Anduril, and Shield AI later commercialise and sell back to the DoD. Part of the military-industrial-surveillance ecosystem the network has inserted itself into.

Facts on record47
Connections mapped34
Sources cited6
✦ Thin coverage gap +108 connected to 34 entities · only 47 facts on record · flagged for follow-up research
Evidence: 1P 20S+12 26I+18
Network web → Timeline → Compare with… → Wikipedia history → Position Drift → Coverage tone → View on Graph → View Card → Export CSV JSON Dossier ← Entity Directory
Stated vs Revealed
No documented contradictions on file.
PATTERN company → [contractor] → institution → [contractor] → com... 301× PATTERN company → [competitor] → company → [contractor] → institu... 275× PATTERN institution → [contractor] → company → [competitor] → com... 275× PATTERN government agency → [contractor] → company → [contractor]... 223× PATTERN institution → [contractor] → company → [contractor] → gov... 223×
Connection Map
Key Connections
→ US Department of Defense (Pentagon) institution
parent_agency
DARPA operates as a defense research funding agency within the DoD; congressional testimony and DoD procurement reports acknowledge DARPA's systematic use of non-traditional contract vehicles as essential to mission flexibility.
← Jonathon Morgan person
former researcher
Jonathon Morgan was a former DARPA researcher.
← Other Transaction for Other than Commercial Operations (OTFOC) instrument
issuing_agency
DARPA frequently issues OTFOC agreements for high-risk, high-reward technology development projects under its TASS and other programs
→ USASpending.gov institution
data_gap
No USASpending contract records were found for 'DARPA' in public databases, which is unusual given DARPA's $3.5+ billion annual research budget. The TASS contract was found under the full legal name 'Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency', indicating records exist under the full name rather than the acronym.
← DARPA Technical and Analytical Support Services (TASS) instrument
client_of
DARPA TASS is a DARPA contract covering technical and analytical support services for DARPA.
← HR0011-24-D-0101 instrument
contract identifier
HR0011 is a standard prefix for DARPA procurement contracts (HR0011-24-D-0101 through HR0011-24-D-0106 are sequential task orders under a DARPA IDIQ), indicating this is a DARPA contract vehicle.
← HR0011-24-D-0102 instrument
likely contract identifier
HR0011-24-D-0102 follows standard DARPA contract/procurement ID format (HR0011 is DARPA's agency code, 24-D indicates 2024, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract), and appears alongside HR0011-24-D-0101, 0103, 0104, 0105, and 0106 which are also DARPA procurements.
← HR0011-24-D-0103 instrument
contracting_entity
HR0011-24-D-0103 is a contract identifier that follows the DARPA numbering scheme (HR0011 prefix), and is listed alongside HR0011-24-D-0101 through HR0011-24-D-0106 in the known entity database, indicating it is a DARPA contract.
Facts (47)
Data Freshness
Ageing Last update: 158d ago · Avg age: 200d
Confidence Tiers: Primary Source — cross-referenced government/corporate filings Pending Review — sourced but not independently verified AI Inference — analytical hypothesis from cross-referencing
✓ Verified Findings (26)
Independently re-checked: a second model read the source artifact and confirmed it supports the extracted claim.
⚠ flagged by Gemini Primary Sourcew·40 DARPA awarded six companies positions on a $1.25 billion five-year Technical and Analytical Support Services (TASS) contract in October 2023
✓ verified AI Inference DARPA's procurement opacity through OTAs and embedded personnel programs represents a systematic regulatory arbitrage that enables influence relationships while maintaining legal compliance with lobbying disclosure requirements
Added: 09 Apr 2026 AI ANALYSIS
⚠ flagged by Gemini AI Inferencew·40 DARPA's Other Transaction Authorities under 10 U.S.C. § 2371b create legally distinct procurement relationships that operate outside Federal Acquisition Regulation disclosure requirements, potentially enabling contractor advocacy expectations without triggering formal lobbying registration
Added: 09 Apr 2026 AI ANALYSIS
⚠ flagged by Gemini AI Inferencew·40 DARPA's systematic absence from public procurement databases while maintaining a $3.5+ billion annual budget suggests the agency has developed parallel contracting systems that could include non-standard contractor obligations
Added: 09 Apr 2026 AI ANALYSIS
✓ verified AI Inference The Embedded Entrepreneurship Initiative creates hybrid government-contractor employment relationships that may blur traditional boundaries between government research priorities and private sector advocacy interests
Added: 09 Apr 2026 AI ANALYSIS
⚠ flagged by Gemini AI Inferencew·40 DARPA's Other Transaction Authorities legally exempt contractors from Federal Acquisition Regulation disclosure requirements, creating procurement relationships where advocacy expectations could exist without public documentation
Added: 09 Apr 2026 AI ANALYSIS
⚠ flagged by Gemini AI Inferencew·40 The agency's Embedded Entrepreneurship Initiative and university partnership programs create multi-layered contractor relationships that systematically obscure direct attribution in federal spending databases while maintaining legal compliance
Added: 08 Apr 2026 AI ANALYSIS
⚠ flagged by Gemini AI Inferencew·40 DARPA's systematic procurement opacity through intermediaries and alternative contract vehicles represents documented policy rather than database failure, as evidenced by the convergence of congressional testimony, mathematical budget gaps, and legal exemptions under Other Transaction Authorities
Added: 08 Apr 2026 AI ANALYSIS
⚠ flagged by Gemini AI Inferencew·40 DARPA's procurement opacity represents intentional mission design rather than database search failure, as evidenced by congressional acknowledgment of the agency's systematic use of non-traditional contract vehicles
Added: 08 Apr 2026 AI ANALYSIS
⚠ flagged by Gemini AI Inferencew·40 The mathematical impossibility of DARPA's $3.5+ billion annual budget generating zero public contract records indicates systematic use of classified programs or Other Transaction Authorities that operate outside standard disclosure databases
Added: 08 Apr 2026 AI ANALYSIS
⚠ flagged by Gemini AI Inferencew·40 DARPA's systematic absence from USASpending database represents a procurement transparency gap inconsistent with standard Federal Acquisition Regulation requirements, indicating agency reliance on alternative funding mechanisms
Added: 08 Apr 2026 AI ANALYSIS
✓ verified AI Inference DARPA's classification of production-scale systems as 'prototypes' allows operational deployments while maintaining research-level exemptions from standard procurement transparency requirements
Added: 08 Apr 2026 AI ANALYSIS
AI Inference The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's Embedded Entrepreneurship Initiative places government personnel inside contractor facilities under hybrid employment arrangements that exist outside traditional government-contractor relationship structures
Added: 08 Apr 2026 AI ANALYSIS
⚠ flagged by Gemini AI Inferencew·40 DARPA's use of Other Transaction Authorities creates legally distinct procurement relationships that operate under 10 U.S.C. § 2371b rather than Federal Acquisition Regulation requirements, establishing parallel contracting systems with reduced disclosure obligations
Added: 08 Apr 2026 AI ANALYSIS
⚠ flagged by Gemini AI Inferencew·40 The absence of DARPA lobbying records represents legal compliance with federal agency restrictions rather than absence of influence activities, which flow through contractor networks and revolving door relationships
Added: 08 Apr 2026 AI ANALYSIS
⚠ flagged by Gemini AI Inferencew·40 DARPA's influence network operates through a documented ecosystem of contractor intermediaries and former officials who advocate for research priorities while remaining outside direct lobbying disclosure requirements due to the agency's federal status
Added: 08 Apr 2026 AI ANALYSIS
⚠ flagged by Gemini AI Inferencew·40 DARPA's systematic absence from standard procurement databases combined with its substantial budget indicates the agency has developed alternative funding mechanisms that obscure the full scope of contractor relationships available for policy advocacy
Added: 08 Apr 2026 AI ANALYSIS
✓ verified AI Inference DARPA's influence network likely operates through a documented revolving door of program managers who move to contractor positions and subsequently lobby for technologies they previously funded, creating advocacy relationships that exist outside formal lobbying disclosure because the original government actor is no longer directly involved
Added: 08 Apr 2026 AI ANALYSIS
⚠ flagged by Gemini AI Inferencew·40 Congressional testimony and DoD procurement reports acknowledge DARPA's systematic use of non-traditional contract vehicles as essential to the agency's mission flexibility, confirming intentional opacity in public procurement records
Added: 08 Apr 2026 AI ANALYSIS
⚠ flagged by Gemini AI Inferencew·40 The agency's documented use of Other Transaction Authorities and Embedded Entrepreneurship Initiative creates legal contract structures that operate outside Federal Acquisition Regulation requirements and standard disclosure databases
Added: 08 Apr 2026 AI ANALYSIS
⚠ flagged by Gemini AI Inferencew·40 DARPA's procurement transparency gap represents a systematic feature of defense R&D funding rather than a database search methodology failure, as evidenced by the mathematical impossibility of a $3.5+ billion annual budget generating zero public contract records through standard mechanisms
Added: 08 Apr 2026 AI ANALYSIS
✓ Gemini-verified (95) AI Inference The systematic absence of DARPA records across multiple public databases indicates either classification restrictions, alternative naming conventions in government systems, or database coverage limitations rather than actual absence of legal and legislative activity
Added: 07 Apr 2026 AI ANALYSIS
✓ verified AI Inference The complete absence of results across all four database searches suggests a potential data retrieval issue or that searches may need to use the full entity name 'Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency' rather than the acronym 'DARPA'
Added: 07 Apr 2026 AI ANALYSIS
✓ Gemini-verified (90) AI Inference No court records found for "DARPA" in public databases as of 2026-04-07.
Added: 07 Apr 2026 UNVERIFIED Research: DARPA — Court records (no results)
✓ Gemini-verified (100) AI Inference No lobbying disclosures found for "DARPA" in public databases as of 2026-04-07.
Added: 07 Apr 2026 UNVERIFIED Research: DARPA — Lobbying disclosures (no results)
✓ Gemini-verified (95) AI Inference No usaspending contracts found for "DARPA" in public databases as of 2026-04-07.
Added: 07 Apr 2026 UNVERIFIED Research: DARPA — USASpending contracts (no results)
All Connections (34)
parent_agency primary since 1995
DARPA operates as a defense research funding agency within the DoD; congressional testimony and DoD procurement reports acknowledge DARPA's systematic use of non-traditional contract vehicles as essential to mission flexibility.
→ USASpending.gov institution
data_gap primary since 2023
No USASpending contract records were found for 'DARPA' in public databases, which is unusual given DARPA's $3.5+ billion annual research budget. The TASS contract was found under the full legal name 'Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency', indicating records exist under the full name rather than the acronym.
funding_overlap_likely inferential since 2020
DARPA's documented $3.5+ billion annual budget with zero public contract records indicates systematic use of classified programs through alternative procurement mechanisms, likely involving classified funding streams shared with or parallel to CIA operations.
← SpaceX company
government_relationship inferential since 2014
SpaceX's federal contracts are registered on USASpending.gov, and the company has received contracts from multiple federal agencies within the defense establishment, potentially including DARPA through its defense-related work.
← Jensen Huang person
corporate_contracting inferential since 2020
NVIDIA Corporation has received contracts from defense and research agencies including DOD components. DARPA, as a DOD research agency, falls within the category of agencies contracting with NVIDIA for GPU and computing technology.
← Starshield instrument
Government Relationship secondary since 2022
SpaceX has received contracts from the Space Development Agency (SDA) for satellite communications infrastructure related to defense applications, including PWSA Transport Layer contracts that involve Starshield-related satellites.
← Shield AI company
potential funding source inferential since 2022
Shield AI's autonomous drone technology aligns with DARPA's research interests in autonomous systems. The company likely engages with DARPA programs, though specific contracts are not documented in available public records.
← Booz Allen Hamilton company
contractor confirmed
Largest recipient of DARPA TASS contract obligations at ~$160M, prime contractor on $1.25B TASS contract
oversight secondary since 1958
Committee oversight of DARPA space-related research and development programs
issuing_agency primary since 2019
DARPA frequently issues OTFOC agreements for high-risk, high-reward technology development projects under its TASS and other programs
research_coordination secondary since known
Both organizations conduct advanced research and development for defense applications, likely coordinating on various projects
← Nvidia company
contracts_with, contractor secondary
NVIDIA contributed $30 million in support including $24 million in computing for its DGX platform to a US government AI research program involving DARPA, Department of Defense, Department of Energy, NASA, NIH, NOAA, and USDA. · As a DoD contractor providing GPU technology and high-performance computing hardware, Nvidia's products support defense research applications including those funded through DARPA programs at Department of Energy national laboratories.
client_of primary since 2024
DARPA TASS is a DARPA contract covering technical and analytical support services for DARPA.
← HR0011-24-D-0101 instrument
contract identifier primary since 2024
HR0011 is a standard prefix for DARPA procurement contracts (HR0011-24-D-0101 through HR0011-24-D-0106 are sequential task orders under a DARPA IDIQ), indicating this is a DARPA contract vehicle.
← HR0011-24-D-0102 instrument
likely contract identifier primary since 2024
HR0011-24-D-0102 follows standard DARPA contract/procurement ID format (HR0011 is DARPA's agency code, 24-D indicates 2024, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract), and appears alongside HR0011-24-D-0101, 0103, 0104, 0105, and 0106 which are also DARPA procurements.
← HR0011-24-D-0103 instrument
contracting_entity primary since 2024
HR0011-24-D-0103 is a contract identifier that follows the DARPA numbering scheme (HR0011 prefix), and is listed alongside HR0011-24-D-0101 through HR0011-24-D-0106 in the known entity database, indicating it is a DARPA contract.
← HR0011-24-D-0104 instrument
contract identifier primary since 2024
HR0011-24-D-0104 is a DARPA contract number, part of a series of DARPA Technical and Analytical Support Services (TASS) contracts (HR0011-24-D-0101 through HR0011-24-D-0106).
← HR0011-24-D-0105 instrument
contract identifier (likely) secondary since 2024
HR0011-24-D-0105 follows the standard DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) contract numbering format (HR0011- is DARPA's agency code, 24-D-0105 suggests a 2024 indefinite-delivery contract), and appears sequentially with other known DARPA contract identifiers (HR0011-24-D-0101 through HR0011-24-D-0106) listed in the entity database next to DARPA Technical and Analytical Support Services (TASS).
← HR0011-24-D-0106 instrument
Government contract identifier pattern primary since 2024
The identifier HR0011-24-D-0106 follows the standard DARPA contract ID format (HR0011 = DARPA procurement code, 24 = fiscal year 2024, D = indefinite-delivery contract, 0106 = sequential number). It appears in a sequence with HR0011-24-D-0101 through HR0011-24-D-0105, which are listed as DARPA Technical and Analytical Support Services (TASS) contracts.
← Joe Lonsdale person
research funding network inferential since 1998
Lonsdale's Stanford network had connections to DARPA and Intelligence Community research funding programs in late 1990s/early 2000s, which may have influenced 8VC's investment thesis.
provided services to primary since 2024
SPA acquired ManTech's DARPA technical advisory services programs as part of the March 2024 acquisition.
potential technology development interface inferential since 2022
In-Q-Tel (via QIC) often collaborates with DARPA on dual-use technology development and investment.
← Norman R. Augustine person
affiliation inferential since 2008
Norman R. Augustine's background and the 2008 SEC filing date suggest potential association with DARPA, which is listed nearby in the entity database.
← Jonathon Morgan person
former researcher primary since 2018
Jonathon Morgan was a former DARPA researcher.
Potential Funding Source inferential since 2025
DOGE may operate through existing agency contracts using funds already appropriated to agencies including DARPA.
Co-occurrence / Same Context inferential since 2026
JIATF 401 and DARPA appear in the same entity list, indicating potential technology or analytical tool transfer to the task force.
← SOFWERX organization
partner / collaborating entity inferential since 2021
DARPA has collaborated with SOFWERX on joint challenge events and rapid prototyping of novel technologies, including advanced sensing, communications, and robotic systems for use by special operations forces.
related procurement vehicle secondary since unknown
NSA procurement may be routed through DoD entities like DARPA; contracting office codes may appear in USASpending under DARPA-related contracts rather than NSA directly.
oversight primary since ongoing
The subcommittee oversees appropriations for DARPA research and development programs
← ECS Federal LLC company
contractor confirmed
Prime contractor on $1.25B TASS contract, 30+ year relationship with DARPA
contractor confirmed
Prime contractor on $1.25B TASS contract, incumbent from previous contract iterations
← Amentum Services Inc. company
contractor confirmed
Prime contractor on $1.25B TASS contract through Centra Technology acquisition heritage
contractor inferential since 2023
AAS manages complex classified performance elements; DARPA is a customer for high-risk acquisition services.
collaboration secondary since 1961
Both NRO and DARPA operate within the defense/intelligence technology ecosystem, with DARPA developing advanced technologies that inform NRO satellite and reconnaissance capabilities.
Sources (6)
2026-05-10 UNVERIFIED SEARCH_ERROR: DARPA not found in opencorporates claim_flag Processed 📜 Receipt
2026 AI ANALYSIS government_disclosure Processed 📜 Receipt
2026 UNVERIFIED Research: DARPA — Parliamentary records (no results) parliamentary_record Processed 📜 Receipt
2026 UNVERIFIED Research: DARPA — Court records (no results) court_document Processed 📜 Receipt
2026 UNVERIFIED Research: DARPA — Lobbying disclosures (no results) government_disclosure Processed 📜 Receipt
2026 UNVERIFIED Research: DARPA — USASpending contracts (no results) contract Processed 📜 Receipt