Voices from DARPA

Author: DARPA

DARPAs podcast series, "Voices from DARPA," offers a revealing and informative window on the minds of the Agency's program managers. In each episode, a program manager from one of DARPAs six technical officesBiological Technologies, Defense Sciences, Information Processing Techniques, Multi X, Strategic Technology, and Tactical Technologywill discuss in informal and personal terms why they are at DARPA and what they are up to. The goal of "Voices from DARPA" is to share with listeners some of the institutional know-how, vision, process, and history that together make the secret sauce DARPA has been adding to the Nations innovation ecosystem for nearly 70 years. On another level, we at DARPA just wanted to share the pleasure we all have every dayin the elevator, in the halls, in our meeting roomsas we learn from each other and swap ideas and strive to change whats possible.
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Language: en-us

Genres: News, Tech News, Technology

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The Sea Changer: Episode 96
Thursday, 27 August, 2026

As the landscape of naval warfare changes, traditional defense methods like large convoys and standard object recognition are becoming impractical. New, scalable solutions are needed to help U.S. Navy Sailors identify maritime threats, track potential targets, and safeguard the massive commercial and military logistics vessels that form the backbone of global trade and defense.In this episode, we speak with Christopher Kent, a program manager in DARPA’s Tactical Technology Office. With a background in naval architecture and as the former Deputy Chief Engineer for the Department of the Navy, Kent came to DARPA to solve real-world problems. He shares his work on developing innovative technologies that provide a new layer of security for vessels at sea as well as other parts of the battlefield, including:Pulling Guard: A semi-autonomous, unmanned system towed behind a ship that acts as a dedicated mobile sentry. It can detect and neutralize threats, providing military-grade protection to commercial vessels without the insurance and regulatory burdens of arming the host ship itself.Heimdall: Advanced tracking software, inspired by human vision, that can lock onto and follow potential threats in cluttered and chaotic environments. Originally designed for maritime use, this technology has proven so effective that the U.S. Army is also adopting it for ground-based defense systems.