Defence Research Agency

Defence Research Agency

Agency overview
Formed	1 April 1991
Preceding agencies	Admiralty Research Establishment Royal Aircraft Establishment Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment Royal Signals and Radar Establishment
Dissolved	April 1995
Superseding agency	Defence Evaluation and Research Agency
Headquarters	Farnborough, Hampshire
Parent agency	Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)

The Defence Research Agency (normally known as DRA), was an executive agency of the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) from April 1991 until April 1995. At the time the DRA was Britain's largest science and technology organisation. In April 1995, the DRA was combined with five other MOD establishments to form the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency.

History

The DRA was formed on 1 April 1991 as an amalgamation of the following Defence Research Establishments:

• Admiralty Research Establishment (ARE) - major sites Portsdown, Hampshire and Southwell, Dorset ("Maritime Division")
• Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) - major site Farnborough, Hampshire ("Aerospace Division")
• Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE) - major site Boscombe Down
• Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment (RARDE) - major site Fort Halstead, Kent ("Military Division")
• Royal Signals and Radar Establishment (RSRE) - major site Malvern, Worcestershire ("Electronics Division")

DRA's headquarters was created at the RAE site at Farnborough, but the other major sites maintained a great deal of independence.

DRA's first Chief Executive was Nigel Hughes, followed by John Chisholm who took over in August 1991.

In April 1995 the DRA combined with five other MOD establishments to form the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA), DRA's John Chisholm becoming Chief Executive of the enlarged DERA (split in July 2001 into DSTL and QinetiQ).