DARPA issues a call for tech-savvy research proposals

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has issued a broad agency announcement seeking research, development, design and testing proposals to be undertaken by the agency's Advanced Technology Office.

In the announcement, DARPA said it wants proposals from contractors with robust networking and communications experience. The announcement also seeks vendors with experience in information operations, information assurance, computer network operations, and "novel approaches to the development, implementation and control of networked weapons systems."

DARPA is also seeking vendors who can conduct extensive research on:

• Microprocessor and computing architectures to support secure computing



• Mobile computing



• Low-cost military encryption devices



• Object-based file systems



• Network storage and caching protocols to reduce long-haul comm loads



• WAN firewalls and proxies capable of 5-Gbps and higher data speeds



• Advanced electronic vision and situation awareness tools



• Robust wireless military networking



• Automatic configuring tactical networks



• Computer forensic and software protection technologies.