Researchers ask industry for enabling technologies in artificial intelligence (AI) and cyber warfare

Categories are transformative AI; secure software and complex systems; offensive and defensive cyber security; and fighting in the information domain.
Dec. 12, 2025
2 min read

Key Highlights

Questions and answers:

  • What is DARPA seeking from industry? Technologies in artificial intelligence (AI), cyber warfare, adaptable software, and information defense.
  • What are the four main focus areas of DARPA’s new initiative? Transformative AI; secure and adaptable software systems; offensive and defensive cyber security; and fighting in the information domain.
  • When is the deadline for companies to submit abstracts? Companies must submit unclassified abstracts by 1 Nov. 2026, through the DARPA BAA Tool.

ARLINGTON, Va. – U.S. Military researchers are approaching industry for new enabling technologies in artificial intelligence (AI), cyber warfare, adaptable software, and detecting enemy information attacks.

Officials of the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in arlington, Va. have issued a broad agency announcement (HR001126S0001) for new military information technologies in four categories: transformative AI; resilient, adaptable, and secure software and complex systems; offensive and defensive cyber security and privacy; and fighting in the information domain.

Enabling technologies in transformative AI involves trustworthy AI technologies for national security using systems that operate competently, interact appropriately with humans, and behave ethically and morally.

Secure software

Resilient, adaptable, and secure software and complex systems involves formal methods and third-wave AI to make it easier to understand, build, update, repair, and restore complex software and cyber-physical systems using open-source software.

Offensive and defensive cyber warfare capabilities involve cyber security and privacy. This topic involves state-of-the-art AI and secure and resilient tools to produce trustworthy cyber capabilities that operate beyond human capacity and speed, and assure the privacy of users.

Fighting in the information domain involves protecting and detecting attacks on information using beliefs and attitudes; semantic: Knowledge that's specialized to particular domains; recording digital artifacts of interactions with digital devices; and delivering electronic messages in many forms and with different gradations of observability.

Companies interested should submit unclassified abstracts to the DARPA BAA Tool online at https://baa.darpa.mil no later than 1 Nov. 2026. Companies submitting promising abstracts may be invited to submit full proposals.

Email questions or concerns to DARPA at [email protected]. More information is online at https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/091b4d199d7241dbbb04b8d36eb88a16/view.

About the Author

John Keller

Editor-in-Chief

John Keller is the Editor-in-Chief, Military & Aerospace Electronics Magazine--provides extensive coverage and analysis of enabling electronics and optoelectronic technologies in military, space and commercial aviation applications. John has been a member of the Military & Aerospace Electronics staff since 1989 and chief editor since 1995.

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