In The Strategist in July, we outlined our concept for an Australian equivalent of the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), mooted by ASPI. We envisaged this Australian version of DARPA filling the ‘valley of death’ between lab testing and demonstration of a prototype (that is, between technology readiness levels 4 and 7). It would utilise private as well as public funding, and it would provide a sovereign approach to development.
This new organisation was envisaged as working quickly, taking risks and focusing on developing the asymmetric capabilities that will be critical in any future conflict.
Designing an Australian DARPA | The Strategist (aspistrategist.org.au)