United States Army Research Laboratory
Research facility of the United States Army From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory (DEVCOM ARL) is the foundational research laboratory for the United States Army under the United States Army Futures Command (AFC).[1] DEVCOM ARL conducts intramural and extramural research guided by 11 Army competencies: Biological and Biotechnology Sciences; Humans in Complex Systems; Photonics, Electronics, and Quantum Sciences; Electromagnetic Spectrum Sciences; Mechanical Sciences; Sciences of Extreme Materials; Energy Sciences; Military Information Sciences; Terminal Effects; Network, Cyber, and Computational Sciences; and Weapons Sciences.[2]
| DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory | |
|---|---|
 DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory – Logo | |
| Active | October 1992 – present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | U.S. Army |
| Type | Research and development |
| Garrison/HQ | Adelphi, Maryland |
| Website | https://arl.devcom.army.mil/ |
| Commanders | |
| Director | Dr. Patrick J. Baker |
The laboratory was established in 1992 to unify the activities of the seven corporate laboratories of the U.S. Army Laboratory Command (LABCOM) as well as consolidate other Army research elements to form a centralized laboratory.[3] The seven corporate laboratories that merged were the Atmospheric Sciences Laboratory (ASL), the Ballistic Research Laboratory (BRL), the Electronics Technology and Devices Laboratory (ETDL), the Harry Diamond Laboratories (HDL), the Human Engineering Laboratory (HEL), the Materials Technology Laboratory (MTL), and the Vulnerability Assessment Laboratory (VAL). In 1998, the Army Research Office (ARO) was also incorporated into the organization.[4][5]
As of 2024, DEVCOM ARL's mission statement is as follows: “Our mission is to operationalize science.”[6]
Headquartered at the Adelphi Laboratory Center in Adelphi, Maryland, DEVCOM ARL operates laboratories and experimental facilities in several locations around the United States: Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland; Research Triangle Park, North Carolina; White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico; Graces Quarters, Maryland; NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio; and NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.[1]
DEVCOM ARL also has the following five regional sites to facilitate partnerships with universities and industry in the surrounding area: ARL West in Playa Vista, California; ARL Central in Chicago, Illinois; ARL South in Austin, Texas; ARL Mid-Atlantic in Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland; and ARL Northeast in Burlington, Massachusetts.[1]
Background (1962–1985)
The formation of the U.S. Army Research Laboratory was a product of a decades-long endeavor to address a critical issue facing the Army’s independent research laboratories. Due to a surge of technological advancements set off by World War I and World War II, the early 20th century introduced major developments in the study and practice of warfare. The rapid growth and diversification of military science and technology precipitated the creation of numerous research facilities by the U.S. Army to ensure that the country remained competitive on the international stage, especially as Cold War tensions reached new heights. The high demand for greater and more sophisticated military capabilities led to a proliferation of Army laboratories that not only advanced competing military interests but also operated in an independent fashion with minimal supervisory control or coordination from U.S. Army headquarters. By the early 1960s, the Army recognized a significant flaw in this approach to pursuing in-house research and development. Competition for government funding led to fierce rivalries between the research facilities that ultimately eroded communication between the Army laboratories. Research installations began to prioritize the survival and longevity of their own operations over the overarching Army goals and engaged in turf disputes to protect their own interests. As a result, the laboratories often did not share their findings or learn about the projects being performed at other facilities, which led to duplicated research and resource waste. Furthermore, the lack of central guidance produced research that distinguished the laboratories from each other but did not fulfill the most urgent or relevant needs of the Army.[7][8]
In the ensuing decades, the U.S. Army conducted various restructuring efforts to resolve this issue. The reorganization of the Army in 1962 discontinued the Technical Services and established the U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC) to manage the Army’s procurement and development functions for weapons and munitions. Research facilities within both the U.S. Army Ordnance Corps and the U.S. Army Signal Corps, two major agencies of the Technical Services, were consolidated under AMC. This decision united the Army’s combat materials research and the Army’s electronic materials research under a single command. Despite this change, the realigned research facilities continued to operate in an independent manner, and the problems remained unresolved. Later in the decade, AMC organized the former Ordnance Corps facilities into one group and the former Signal Corps facilities into a different group to foster closer working relationships within each group. While the former Ordnance Corps facilities became known as AMC laboratories and reported directly to AMC headquarters, the former Signal Corps facilities reported to a major subordinate command in AMC called the Electronics Command (ECOM). Although AMC had hoped that this arrangement would encourage research sharing and foster cooperation, the lack of progress on this issue prompted the U.S. Army to change its approach.[3][7]
In December 1973, Secretary of the Army Howard Callaway established the Army Materiel Acquisition Review Committee (AMARC), an ad hoc group consisting primarily of civilians from outside the government, to analyze the Army’s materiel acquisition process. Upon review of AMC’s management of its science and technology elements, AMARC highlighted how the wide spectrum of research, development, and commodity responsibilities shouldered by the research facilities contributed to a lack of responsiveness in addressing the Army’s modern, mission-oriented needs. The advisory committee recommended separating the development of communications and automatic data processing from the development of electronic warfare capabilities.[3][9] Following the guidance given by AMARC, AMC redesignated itself as the Material Development and Readiness Command (DARCOM) in January 1976 to reflect the changes in the organization’s acquisition and readiness practices.[3][10]
In January 1978, the U.S. Army discontinued ECOM and formally activated three major subordinate commands under DARCOM: the Communications and Electronics Materiel Readiness Command (CERCOM), the Communications Research and Development Command (CORADCOM), and the Electronics Research and Development Command (ERADCOM).[3][11] As the sole major subordinate command responsible for the Army’s combat electronics materiel, ERADCOM handled the development of all noncommunications and nonautomatic data-processing electronics materiel for the Army. Elements that constituted ERADCOM included the Atmospheric Sciences Laboratory, the Electronics Technology and Devices Laboratory, the Electronic Warfare Laboratory, and the Harry Diamond Laboratories.[3] In 1981, duplication of effort between CERCOM and CORADCOM led DARCOM to combine the two major subordinate commands to create the Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM).[11] Not long after DARCOM carried out its reorganization, however, the Army launched another review that scrutinized its structure, indicating that the changes failed to resolve the existing issues.[3] DARCOM later changed its name back to AMC in August 1984.[10]
In 1984, the U.S. Army initiated a different strategy to address the lack of unity among the laboratories. General Richard H. Thompson, the new Commanding General of AMC, proposed an initiative to consolidate and centralize the management of all the AMC laboratories under a single major subordinate command. This concept of a Laboratory Command was quickly adopted by the Army despite receiving unfavorable reviews that cited the likelihood of increased bureaucratic layering and overhead expenses. In July 1985, AMC officially activated the U.S. Army Laboratory Command (LABCOM) to manage seven Army laboratories and an eighth research entity known as the Army Research Office (ARO). The seven laboratories assigned to LABCOM were the Atmospheric Sciences Laboratory, the Ballistic Research Laboratory, the Electronics Technology and Devices Laboratory, the Harry Diamond Laboratories, the Human Engineering Laboratory, the Materiel and Mechanics Research Center (renamed the Materials Technology Laboratory during the transition), and the Office of Missile Electronic Warfare (renamed the Vulnerability Assessment Laboratory during the transition).[3][7][8]
LABCOM’s primary mission was to facilitate the transition of technologies from basic research to fielded application while also finding ways to improve their integration into mission areas across the Army. Once LABCOM was established, the term “laboratories” became reserved exclusively for the research facilities under LABCOM. The research facilities that did not transfer to LABCOM became known as Research, Development, and Engineering Centers (RDECs). This naming distinction highlighted a major shift in the roles that both groups adopted. As part of the change, the laboratories took charge of AMC’s basic research, while the RDECs focused primarily on engineering development. The laboratories, which reported directly to LABCOM instead of AMC headquarters, were expected to work together to support the technological growth of the Army. As part of their duties, significant emphasis was placed on the pursuit of technology transfers and the sharing of information so that they could both exploit the advancements made by others and avoid duplication of research. ARO, the eighth element placed in LABCOM, retained its original functions of managing grants and contracts with individual scientists, academia, and nonprofit entities to promote basic research relevant to the U.S. Army. Despite the significant changes made to the structure of the command, none of the dispersed research facilities were physically relocated for the formation of LABCOM. Although centralized oversight addressed some of the management problems that the Army sought to resolve, the geographic separation between the laboratories considerably hindered LABCOM’s research synergy. To the Army’s dismay, competition among the laboratories and duplicated research persisted.[7][8]
Formation of ARL (1988–1992)
The idea behind a centralized Army laboratory for basic research emerged in response to U.S. military downsizing following the end of the Cold War. In December 1988, the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) identified the Materials Technology Laboratory (MTL) in Watertown, Massachusetts, for closure due to its outdated facilities. In opposition to the planned closure of the laboratory, LABCOM examined alternative solutions that would allow MTL and its capabilities to remain intact in some form. In 1989, LABCOM introduced a proposal to establish a single physical entity that would consolidate all of its laboratories, including MTL, in one location.[3][7]
Around this time, President George H. W. Bush had directed Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney to develop a plan to fully implement the recommendations made by the Packard Commission, a committee that had previously reported on the state of defense procurement in the government.[8][12][13] As a result of this directive, the U.S. Army chartered a high-level Army study known as the LAB-21 Study to evaluate the future of Army in-house research, development, and engineering activities. Conducted from November 1989 to February 1990, the LAB-21 Study made recommendations that aligned with LABCOM’s proposal for a single, centralized flagship laboratory.[12][14] A second study known as the Laboratory Consolidation Study took place in June 1990 and endorsed the Army’s plan to consolidate the laboratories under LABCOM. However, the proposal was modified to establish the centralized laboratory at two major sites—Adelphi, Maryland and Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland—accompanied by elements at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico and at NASA facilities in Hampton, Virginia, and Cleveland, Ohio.[8][12]
In April 1991, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) submitted the recommendations from the LAB-21 Study for the 1991 BRAC. Upon BRAC’s endorsement, the laboratory consolidation plan was subsequently approved by President Bush and Congress. Once the plan was authorized, Congress tasked the Federal Advisory Commission on Consolidation and Conversion of Defense Research and Development Laboratories with making recommendations to improve the operation of the laboratories. Based on their guidance, implementation of the laboratory consolidation plan was delayed to January 1992. The Federal Advisory Commission also communicated that, in order to address the laboratories’ deep-rooted competition problem, the centralized laboratory should be free from financial pressure and should not have to compete for research funds.[3][7][8] As planning continued, the identity of the centralized laboratory began to take shape. Although the proposed centralized laboratory was originally referred to as the Combat Materiel Research Laboratory in the LAB-21 Study, the name was ultimately changed to the Army Research Laboratory.[15] In addition, the Army decided to have a civilian director occupy the top management position with a general officer as deputy, as opposed to the original plan of having a major general serve as a military commander alongside a civilian technical director.[3]
In accordance with the requirements established by BRAC 91, the Army discontinued LABCOM and provisionally established the U.S. Army Research Laboratory on July 23, 1992.[3] The seven LABCOM laboratories were subsequently consolidated to form ARL’s 10 technical directorates: the Electronics and Power Sources Directorate; the Sensors, Signatures, Signal and Information Processing Directorate; the Advanced Computational and Information Sciences Directorate; the Battlefield Environment Directorate; the Vehicle Propulsion Directorate; the Vehicle Structures Directorate; the Weapons Technology Directorate; the Materials Directorate; the Human Research and Engineering Directorate; and the Survivability/Lethality Analysis Directorate.[3][14] Other Army elements that ARL absorbed at its inception included the Low Observable Technology and Application (LOTA) Office, the Survivability Management Office (SMO), a portion of the Signatures, Sensors, and Signal Processing Technology Organization (S3TO), the Advanced Systems Concepts Office (ASCO), the Army Institute for Research in Management Information Communications and Computer Sciences (AIRMICS), a portion of the Systems Research Laboratory (SRL), a portion of the Chemical Research, Development, and Engineering Center (CRDEC), a portion of the Army Air Mobility Research and Development Laboratory (AMRDL), a portion of the Tank-Automotive Command (TACOM) Research, Development, and Engineering Center, a portion of the Belvoir Research, Development, and Engineering Center, and a portion of the Night Vision and Electro-Optics Laboratory (NVEOL).[3]
| Advanced Computational and Information Sciences Directorate |
|---|
| Ballistic Research Laboratory (computer technology elements) |
| Army Institute for Research in Management Information Communications and Computer Sciences |
| Battlefield Environment Directorate |
| Atmospheric Sciences Laboratory |
| Electronics and Power Sources Directorate |
| Electronics Technology and Devices Laboratory |
| Harry Diamond Laboratories (microelectronics elements) |
| Human Research and Engineering Directorate |
| Human Engineering Laboratory |
| Systems Research Laboratory (MANPRINT elements) |
| Materials Directorate |
| Materials Technology Laboratory |
| Belvoir Research, Development, and Engineering Center (basic and applied materials research elements) |
| Sensors, Signatures, Signal and Information Processing Directorate |
| Harry Diamond Laboratories |
| Signatures, Sensors, and Signal Processing Technology Organization |
| Night Vision and Electro-Optics Laboratory (research and development elements) |
| Survivability/Lethality Analysis Directorate |
| Vulnerability Assessment Laboratory |
| Ballistic Research Laboratory (vulnerability analysis elements) |
| Harry Diamond Laboratories (analytical functions for nuclear weapons) |
| Survivability Management Office |
| Chemical Research, Development, and Engineering Center (survivability analysis elements) |
| Vehicle Propulsion Directorate |
| Tank-Automotive Command Research, Development, and Engineering Center |
| Army Air Mobility Research and Development Laboratory (Army Propulsion Directorate) |
| Vehicle Structures Directorate |
| Materials Technology Laboratory (structures elements) |
| Army Air Mobility Research and Development Laboratory (Army Aerostructures Directorate) |
| Weapons Technology Directorate |
| Ballistic Research Laboratory |
| Harry Diamond Laboratories (technology base research functions for nuclear weapons) |
| Low Observable Technology and Application Office |
| Survivability Management Office |
The U.S. Army formally activated the U.S. Army Research Laboratory on October 2, 1992 with Richard Vitali, the former LABCOM Director of Corporate Laboratories, as acting director and Colonel William J. Miller as deputy director. ARL was permanently established one month later on November 2, 1992.[3][7]
Early History (1992–2000)
Having inherited LABCOM’s primary mission, the newly established U.S. Army Research Laboratory was entrusted with conducting in-house research to equip the Army with new technologies. In particular, ARL remained responsible for conducting most of the Army’s basic research, which served to meet the needs of the RDECs. Similar to the industry model where a corporate research and development laboratory provides support to multiple product divisions in the company, ARL was expected to bolster and accelerate higher-level product development performed by the RDECs. As a result, ARL was commonly referred to as the Army’s “corporate laboratory.” The architects behind ARL’s formation envisioned that the cutting-edge scientific and engineering knowledge generated by the laboratory would provide the Army with the technological edge to surpass its competition.[5][7][8][14]
As acting director of ARL, Richard Vitali oversaw the integration of various Army elements into ARL. Even though his tenure lasted a little less than a year, Vitali implemented foundational changes in ARL’s management that would later shape the core operations of the laboratory. Inspired by a successful precedent in LABCOM, he established an advisory body of senior scientists and engineers known as the ARL Fellows to provide guidance to the director on various matters related to their field of expertise. Vitali also facilitated the transition of existing LABCOM research and development activities into a new environment. Despite the relocation of Army personnel from different research facilities across the country, ARL’s first year of operation witnessed the continuation of ongoing LABCOM research without significant setbacks. Lines of effort conducted by ARL that year included the Warrior’s Edge virtual reality simulation program, a project that enhanced the battlefield forecasting capabilities of existing information systems, and the development of the Battlefield Combat Identification System.[4] On September 14, 1993, John W. Lyons, a former director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), was installed as the first director of ARL.[3]
Following the end of the Cold War, the administration helmed by President William J. Clinton pushed for further cutbacks in defense spending as part of a plan to reduce and reshape the federal government. Taking advantage of this initiative to “reinvent the government,” Lyons saw an opportunity to address what he viewed as serious difficulties in the directorates’ operating environments that hindered their performance.[4] His reform program for ARL included the consolidation of funding authority, the creation of an industrial fund and discretionary accounts, and the reconfiguration of ARL as an open laboratory in order to increase the number of staff exchanges. These changes, which made ARL resemble NIST, were endorsed by AMC Commander General Jimmy D. Ross in December 1993.[3]
Around the same time, the Under Secretary of Defense chartered a task force on defense laboratory management, which recommended a change in approach to ARL’s operations in 1994. This recommendation came as a result of a directive issued by the Army Chief of Staff to “digitize the battlefield” and enhance the U.S. Army’s capabilities in the information sciences. Upon review, however, the Army realized that the private sector had far surpassed the military in the development and fielding of wireless digital communications, as evidenced by the prevalence of cellular phones in the commercial market. ARL lacked the money, time, and manpower to help the U.S. Army catch up to the rapid pace at which commercial wireless devices were evolving, much less incorporate the newest advancements into military applications. The Army determined that the solution was to join ARL’s in-house capabilities with those of commercial businesses and university laboratories. This decision led to the transformation of ARL into a federated laboratory that delegated research and development in digital technologies to newly established research centers in the private sector. Known as the Federated Laboratory, or FedLab, the approach entailed a closer working partnership between ARL and the private sector that couldn’t be achieved through standard contractual processes. To overcome this issue, the U.S. Army granted ARL the authority to enter into research cooperative agreements in July 1994. ARL funded as many as 10 new research centers as part of FedLab and incorporated the activities of three existing university centers of excellence: the Army High Performance Computing Research Center at the University of Minnesota, the Information Sciences Center at Clark Atlanta University, and the Institute for Advanced Technology at the University of Texas at Austin. ARL eventually discontinued the FedLab model in 2001 and adopted Collaborative Technology Alliances (CTAs) and Collaborative Research Alliances (CRAs) as successors to the FedLab concept.[3][4][5]
The establishment of the FedLab structure led to several major changes in the organization of ARL’s directorates. Beginning in April 1995, the bulk of the Sensors, Signatures, Signal and Information Processing Directorate (S3I) merged with portions of the Electronics and Power Sources Directorate (EPSD) to form the Sensors Directorate (SEN). The remaining Information Processing Branch of S3I joined the Military Computer Science Branch of the Advanced Computational and Information Sciences Directorate (ACIS), the bulk of the Battlefield Environment Directorate (BED), and portions of EPSD to create the Information Science and Technology Directorate (IST). While the rest of EPSD became the Physical Sciences Directorate (PSD), the remainder of ACIS was reorganized into the Advanced Simulation and High-Performance Computing Directorate (ASHPC). BED’s Atmospheric Analysis and Assessment team was also transitioned into the Survivability/Lethality Analysis Directorate (SLAD). In 1996, ARL underwent further restructuring in response to calls by the U.S. Army to decrease the number of directorates. The laboratory formed the Weapons and Materials Research Directorate (WMRD) by combining the Weapons Technology Directorate and the Materials Directorate. It also created the Vehicle Technology Center (VTC) by combining the Vehicle Propulsion Directorate and the Vehicle Structures Directorate. SEN and PSD were merged to form the Sensors and Electron Devices Directorate (SEDD), and ASHPC became the Corporate Information and Computing Center (CICC). By 1997, ARL managed only five technical directorates (WMRD, IST, SEDD, HRED, and SLAD) and two centers (VTC and CICC).[3][4]
| Inception | Post-Reorganization in 1995 | Post-Reorganization in 1996 |
|---|---|---|
| Sensors, Signatures, Signal and Information Processing Directorate | Sensors Directorate | Sensors and Electron Devices Directorate |
| Electronics and Power Sources Directorate (three branches) | ||
| Electronics and Power Sources Directorate | Physical Sciences Directorate | |
| Battlefield Environment Directorate | Information Science and Technology Directorate | Information Science and Technology Directorate |
| Advanced Computational and Information Sciences Directorate (Military Computer Science Branch) | ||
| Sensors, Signatures, Signal and Information Processing Directorate (Information Processing Branch) | ||
| Electronics and Power Sources Directorate (small portion) | ||
| Survivability/Lethality Analysis Directorate | Survivability/Lethality Analysis Directorate | Survivability/Lethality Analysis Directorate |
| Battlefield Environment Directorate (Atmospheric Analysis and Assessment team) | ||
| Weapons Technology Directorate | Weapons Technology Directorate | Weapons and Materials Research Directorate |
| Materials Directorate | Materials Directorate | |
| Human Research and Engineering Directorate | Human Research and Engineering Directorate | Human Research and Engineering Directorate |
| Advanced Computational and Information Sciences Directorate | Advanced Simulation and High-Performance Computing Directorate | Corporate Information and Computing Center |
| Vehicle Propulsion Directorate | Vehicle Propulsion Directorate | Vehicle Technology Center |
| Vehicle Structures Directorate | Vehicle Structures Directorate | |
In 1998, ARL officially incorporated the Army Research Office (ARO) into its organization. Until this point, ARO had existed separately from the other former LABCOM elements. As a part of this change, ARO’s director became the ARL deputy director for basic research.[4][7]
Following Lyons’ retirement in September 1998, Robert Whalin, the former director of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Waterways Experiment Station, was assigned as ARL’s second director in December 1998.[4] Shortly thereafter, the Corporate Information and Computing Center was renamed to the Corporate Information and Computing Directorate, and the Vehicle Technology Center was renamed to the Vehicle Technology Directorate.[16][17] In May 2000, ARL combined the Information Science and Technology Directorate and the Corporate Information and Computing Directorate to form the Computational and Information Sciences Directorate (CISD).[18]
With this change, ARL administered, in total, the Army Research Office and six technical directorates.[4][18]
| Directorate | Description |
|---|---|
| Computational and Information Sciences Directorate (CISD) | CISD carried out basic and applied research in computational, network, and communication sciences. Focused on enabling knowledge superiority for the Army, it concentrated on research in Tactical Communications and Networks, Battlefield Information Processing, Battlefield Weather for Mission Command Networks and Systems, and Computational Science and Engineering. |
| Human Research and Engineering Directorate (HRED) | HRED conducted research directed toward enhancing the perceptual, cognitive, and psychomotor capabilities of individuals. It also specialized in human factors research that optimized soldier-machine interactions and improved the designs of Army technology systems. |
| Sensors and Electron Devices Directorate (SEDD) | SEDD served as the principal Army organization for research and development in sensors and electron devices technology. Its research initiatives prioritized technological advancements in solid-state physics, radiation effects, electrochemistry, high-frequency electronics, photonics, microelectromechanics, wide-band-gap electronic materials, nanoscience, optoelectronics, and biodetection. |
| Survivability/Lethality Analysis Directorate (SLAD) | SLAD performed survivability, lethality, and vulnerability assessments that informed the decisions of senior leaders, developers, and evaluators. With a focus on material acquisition programs, SLAD conducted information operations and technical analyses that not only identified issues in new, early-phase technologies but also delivered solutions to resolve them. |
| Vehicle Technology Directorate (VTD) | VTD acted as the principal Army organization for research and development in the capabilities of Army air and ground vehicles. Its research areas included robotics, mechanics, propulsion, vehicle modeling and simulation, aerodynamics, flight controls, and transmission technologies. |
| Weapons and Materials Research Directorate (WMRD) | WMRD pursued science and technology that contributed to the development of more lethal and effective weapons systems for the Army. Its basic research efforts concentrated on the chemistry and microstructure of materials such as ceramics, polymer composites, and advanced metals, while its applied research efforts supported the development of smart weapons and munitions as well as vehicle and body armor. |
Later History (1992–Present)
The September 11 attacks against the United States and the subsequent launch of Operation Enduring Freedom induced a sense of urgency across the U.S. Army to do whatever possible to accelerate the mobilization of offensive U.S. military capabilities.[4] General Paul J. Kern, the newly appointed commanding general of AMC, stressed the need to streamline the process behind how the Army developed technology for its troops.[19][20] Believing that AMC did not deliver its products to the desired recipients quickly enough, Kern directed the unification of all of AMC’s laboratories and RDECs under one command in order to foster synergy. In October 2002, he created the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM) to consolidate these research facilities under one command structure. The Army officially established RDECOM as a major subordinate command under AMC on March 1, 2004.[20][21] Positioned at the center of Army technology development, RDECOM was given authority over ARL, the RDECs, the Army Materiel Systems Analysis Activity, and a portion of the Simulation, Training and Instrumentation Command. As a result, ARL, which had previously reported directly to AMC headquarters, henceforth reported to RDECOM instead.[22][23]
Throughout the 2000s and early 2010s, ARL concentrated chiefly on addressing the operational technical challenges that arose during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Although long-term basic research traditionally represented the crux of ARL’s work, heavy pressure from Army leadership redirected much of the laboratory’s attention towards quick-fix solutions in response to urgent problems faced by troops in theater. Examples include the Armor Survivability Kit for the M998 HMMWV, the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles, the Rhino Passive Infrared Defeat System, and the M1114 HMMWV Interim Fragment Kit 5. During this period of warfare, the laboratory strongly endorsed cross-directorate projects and funded high-risk, collaborative, and multi-disciplinary research in a bid to formulate more innovative science and technology capabilities that exceeded the Army’s mission needs.[4]
In 2014, ARL launched the Open Campus pilot program as part of the laboratory’s new business model, which placed greater focus on advancing collaborative fundamental research alongside prominent members in industry, academia, and other government laboratories. Designed to help ARL obtain new perspectives on Army problems and keep the laboratory connected with early-stage scientific innovations, the Open Campus program prioritized the development of a sophisticated collaborative network that ARL could leverage to accelerate technology transfer.[24][25][26] ARL’s Open Campus initiative also facilitated the creation of the ARL regional sites, which established research outposts at strategic university campus locations across the continental United States. The ARL regional sites stationed Army research and development personnel close to local and regional universities, technical centers, and companies for the purposes of developing partnerships and fostering interest in Army-relevant research. The first regional site, ARL West, was established in Playa Vista, California, on April 13, 2016. Its placement at the University of Southern California’s Institute for Creative Technologies reflected the laboratory’s goals to collaborate with organizations located in and around the Los Angeles region.[27][28] The second regional site, ARL South, was established in Austin, Texas, on November 16, 2016. Its placement at the University of Texas at Austin’s J.J. Pickle Research Center reflected the laboratory’s goals to partner with organizations in Texas as well as surrounding areas in New Mexico, Louisiana, and Oklahoma.[29][30] The third regional site, ARL Central, was established in Chicago, Illinois, on November 10, 2017. Its placement at the University of Chicago’s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation reflected the laboratory’s goals to establish its presence in the Midwest region.[31][32] The fourth regional site, ARL Northeast, was established in Burlington, Massachusetts, on April 9, 2018. Its placement at Northeastern University’s George J. Kostas Research Institute for Homeland Security marked what was believed to be the laboratory’s final extended campus location.[33][34]
On July 1, 2018, the Army formally established the U.S. Army Futures Command (AFC) as the Army’s fourth major command alongside the U.S. Army Materiel Command, the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, and the U.S. Army Forces Command. The reorganization came in response to criticisms from Secretary of the Army Mark Esper regarding the slow speed of Army technology development, testing, and fielding. The formation of AFC served to consolidate the Army’s modernization efforts under a single command.[35][36] As a result, the Army transitioned RDECOM from AMC to AFC on February 3, 2019, and renamed it to the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (CCDC). Although ARL retained its position as an element of CCDC during this transition, one of ARL’s directorates, SLAD, was moved out of the laboratory and integrated into the newly established Data & Analysis Center under CCDC.[37][38][39] The “CCDC” designation was also appended in front of the names of the eight research facilities assigned to the new major subordinate command: CCDC Armaments Center, CCDC Aviation & Missile Center, CCDC Army Research Laboratory, CCDC Chemical Biological Center, CCDC C5ISR, CCDC Data & Analysis Center, CCDC Ground Vehicle Systems Center, and CCDC Soldier Center.[40]
In 2020, CCDC changed its abbreviation to DEVCOM, resulting in CCDC ARL becoming DEVCOM ARL.[41] In 2022, DEVCOM ARL discontinued its technical directorates and adopted a competency-based organizational structure that realigned the laboratory’s intramural and extramural research efforts to underscore the Army’s targeted priorities in science and technology.[1] In 2023, DEVCOM ARL established its fifth regional site, ARL Mid-Atlantic, in Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland.[42]
As of 2024, DEVCOM ARL consists of three directorates: the Army Research Directorate (ARD), the Army Research Office (ARO), and the Research Business Directorate (RBD).[1] The laboratory executes intramural and extramural foundational research that adheres to 11 research competencies chosen by DEVCOM ARL. The 11 competencies are Biological and Biotechnology Sciences; Electromagnetic Spectrum Sciences; Energy Sciences; Humans in Complex Systems; Mechanical Sciences; Military Information Sciences; Network, Cyber, and Computational Sciences; Photonics, Electronics, and Quantum Sciences; Sciences of Extreme Materials; Terminal Effects; and Weapons Sciences.[2]
ARD executes the laboratory’s intramural research and manages DEVCOM ARL’s flagship research efforts. ARO executes the laboratory’s extramural research programs in scientific disciplines tied to the laboratory’s research competencies. ARO administers funding for Army-relevant research conducted at universities and businesses across the United States. Located at Research Triangle Park in North Carolina, ARO engages in partnerships with members of academia and industry to promote high-risk yet high-payoff research in an effort to address the Army’s technological challenges. Its mission has remained largely the same since the organization’s inception as a standalone Army entity in 1951. RBD manages the laboratory’s business operations and procedures as well as the ARL regional sites. It oversees the business and managerial elements of the organization, which includes laboratory operations, strategic partnerships and planning, and budget synchronization.[1][41]
Regional sites
DEVCOM ARL manages five regional sites in the United States that collaborate with nearby universities and businesses to advance the Army’s scientific and technological goals. ARL West, located in Playa Vista, California, has technical focus areas in human-information interaction, cybersecurity, embedded processing, and intelligent systems.[43] ARL Central, located in Chicago, Illinois, has technical focus areas in high performance computing, impact physics, machine learning and data analytics, materials and manufacturing, power and energy, propulsion science, and quantum science.[44] ARL South, located in Austin, Texas, has technical focus areas in artificial intelligence and machine learning for autonomy, energy and power, cybersecurity, materials and manufacturing, and biology.[45] ARL Northeast, located in Burlington, Massachusetts, has technical focus areas in materials and manufacturing, artificial intelligence and intelligent systems, and cybersecurity.[46] ARL Mid-Atlantic, the newest regional site in Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, has technical focus areas in high-performance computing, autonomous systems, human-agent teaming, cybersecurity, materials and manufacturing, power and energy, extreme materials, and quantum systems.[42]
University Affiliated Research Centers
A University Affiliated Research Center (UARC) is a university-led collaboration among universities, industry, and Army laboratories that serve to strengthen and maintain technological capabilities that are important to the DoD. As part of the program, the hosting university provides dedicated facilities to its partners to conduct joint basic and applied research. DEVCOM ARL manages three UARCs for the DoD: the Institute of Collaborative Biotechnologies, the Institute for Creative Technologies, and the Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies.[47] The Institute of Collaborative Biotechnologies is led by the University of California, Santa Barbara and focuses on technological innovations in systems biology, synthetic biology, bio-enabled materials, and cognitive neuroscience.[48] The Institute for Creative Technologies is led by the University of Southern California and focuses on basic and applied research in immersive technology, simulation, human performance, computer graphics, and artificial intelligence.[49] The Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies is led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and focuses on the advancement of nanotechnology to create new materials, devices, processes, and systems to improve Army capabilities.[50]
Technology and Research Alliances
Following the termination of the FedLabs model in 2001, DEVCOM ARL continued to collaborate with private industry and academia through Collaborative Technology Alliances (CTAs) and Collaborative Research Alliances (CRAs).[4] CTAs represent partnerships that focus on the rapid transition of new innovations and technologies found in academia to the U.S. manufacturing base through cooperation with private industry.[51] CRAs represent partnerships that seek to further develop innovative science and technology in academia that pertains to Army interests.[52] The laboratory also engaged in International Technology Alliances (ITAs) that facilitate collaborations for research and development with foreign government entities alongside academia and private industry.[53]
Atmospheric Sciences Laboratory
Main article: Atmospheric Sciences Laboratory
Located at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, the Atmospheric Sciences Laboratory was a research facility under the U.S. Army Materiel Command that specialized in artillery meteorology, electro-optical climatology, atmospheric optics data, and atmospheric characterization from 1965 to 1992.[4]
Ballistic Research Laboratory
Main article: Ballistics Research Laboratory
The Ballistic Research Laboratory was a research facility under the U.S. Army Ordnance Corps and later the U.S. Army Materiel Command that specialized in interior, exterior, and terminal ballistics as well as vulnerability and lethality analysis. Situated at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, BRL served as a major Army center for research and development in technologies related to weapon phenomena, armor, accelerator physics, and high-speed computing. The laboratory is perhaps best known for commissioning the creation of the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC), the first electronic general-purpose digital computer.[4]
Electronics Technology and Devices Laboratory
Main article: Electronics Technology and Devices Laboratory
The Electronics Technology and Devices Laboratory was a research facility under the U.S. Army Materiel Command that specialized in the development and integration of critical electronic technologies, from high-frequency devices to tactical power sources, into Army systems. Located at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, ETDL served as the U.S. Army’s central laboratory for electronics research from 1971 to 1992.[4]
Harry Diamond Laboratories
Main article: Harry Diamond Laboratories
The Harry Diamond Laboratories was a research facility under the National Bureau of Standards and later the U.S. Army. Formerly known as the Diamond Ordnance Fuze Laboratories, the organization conducted research and development in electronic components and devices and was at one point the largest electronics research and development laboratory in the U.S. Army. HDL also acted as the Army’s lead laboratory in nuclear survivability studies and operated the Aurora Pulsed Radiation Simulator, the world’s largest full-threat gamma radiation simulator. The laboratory was most notably known for its work on the proximity fuze.[4]
Human Engineering Laboratory
Main article: Human Engineering Laboratory
The Human Engineering Laboratory was a research facility under the U.S. Army Materiel Command that specialized in human performance research, human factors engineering, robotics, and human-in-the-loop technology. Located at Aberdeen Proving Ground, HEL acted as the Army’s lead laboratory for human factors and ergonomics research from 1951 to 1992. Researchers at HEL investigated methods to maximize combat effectiveness, improve weapons and equipment designs, and reduce operation costs and errors.[4]
Materials Technology Laboratory
Main article: Materials Technology Laboratory
The Materials Technology Laboratory was a research facility under the U.S. Army Materiel Command that specialized in metallurgy and materials science and engineering for ordnance and other military purposes. Located in Watertown, Massachusetts, MTL was originally known as the Watertown Arsenal Laboratories and represented one of many laboratory buildings erected at Watertown Arsenal. WAL was renamed the Army Materials Research Agency (AMRA) in 1962 and then the Army Materials and Mechanics Research Center (AMMRC) in 1967 before it became the Materials Technology Laboratory in 1985.[4]
Vulnerability Assessment Laboratory
Main article: Vulnerability Assessment Laboratory
The Vulnerability Assessment Laboratory was a research facility under the U.S. Army Materiel Command that specialized in missile electronic warfare, vulnerability, and surveillance. Headquartered at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, VAL was responsible for assessing the vulnerability of Army weapons and electronic communication systems to hostile electronic warfare as well as coordinating missile electronic countermeasure efforts for the U.S. Army.[4]
| No. | Director | Term | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Duration | |
| - | Richard Vitali Acting | October 2, 1992 | September 14, 1993 | 347 days | |
| 1 | John W. Lyons | September 14, 1993 | December 31, 1998 | 5 years, 108 days | |
| 2 | Robert Whalin | December 31, 1998 | March 2003 | ~4 years, 59 days | |
| 3 | John M. Miller | March 2003 | June 2012 | ~9 years, 92 days | |
| - | John M. Pellegrino Acting | July 1, 2012 | March 11, 2013 | 253 days | |
| 4 | Thomas Russell | March 11, 2013 | April 2016 | ~3 years, 21 days | |
| - | Philip Perconti Acting | April 2016 | June 2017 | ~1 year, 61 days | |
| 5 | Philip Perconti | June 2017 | November 22, 2019 | ~2 years, 174 days | |
| 6 | Patrick J. Baker | December 8, 2019 | Incumbent | ~4 years, 329 days | |
- United States Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM)
- US Army DEVCOM Armaments Center (DEVCOM AC) – formerly Army Armaments Research, Development and Engineering Center
- US Army DEVCOM Aviation & Missile Center (DEVCOM AvMC) – formerly Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center
- US Army DEVCOM C5ISR Center (DEVCOM C5ISRC) – formerly Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center
- US Army DEVCOM Chemical Biological Center (DEVCOM CBC) – formerly Edgewood Chemical Biological Center
- US Army DEVCOM Ground Vehicle System Center (DEVCOM GVSC) – formerly Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center
- US Army DEVCOM Soldier Center (DEVCOM SC) – formerly Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center
- United States Naval Research Laboratory
- United States Air Force Research Laboratory
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