DEVCOM ARL’s Essential Research Programs (ERPs) were among the highest priority research efforts broadly supported across the lab.
They were actively managed transdisciplinary fundamental research programs with an overarching outcome-driven plan and quantifiable research goals. They focused on answering challenging, high-risk questions that converge to provide research outcomes and shape concepts to curtail technological surprise, prevent overmatch, and get ahead of the threat before the threat is even aware of the technology.
The ERPs were been developed with the understanding that future warfare will be fought across all five domains (Land, Air, Maritime, Space, and Cyberspace) and among three realms: