APL provides solutions to national security and scientific challenges with systems engineering and integration, research and development, and analysis. Since our founding in 1942 to aid a country at war, we have focused on practical applications of our research in a wide range of scientific and technological fields. Today, our four main sponsored areas of work include air and missile defense, asymmetric operations, force projection, and space science. Additionally, we continue to honor our enduring commitment to work with and inspire future generations of scientists, engineers, and researchers.
Our Sectors and Departments
Organizational Structure
APL’s organizational structure breaks down into four sectors, two technical departments, and five enterprise service departments.
The sectors—Air and Missile Defense, Asymmetric Operations, Force Projection, and Space Exploration—are devoted to critical work sponsored by government agencies. Eleven of APL’s 13 mission areas reside in these sectors.
APL’s two technical departments—National Security Analysis and Research and Exploratory Development—focus on work that brings together multidisciplinary teams of talented researchers. Each technical department has one mission area.
Our five enterprise service departments—Business, Construction, and Facilities; Communications; Information Technology Services; Security Services; and Talent Services—provide the infrastructure and expertise to support the Laboratory’s staff.
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Mission Areas
Our mission areas are organized and equipped to meet unique sponsor and mission needs, providing them with dedicated, on-call engineering, scientific, and analytical expertise.
Expertise
The complex challenges of today’s world demand new technologies that can keep us safer and take us farther. To meet these challenges and maintain the nation’s defensive edge, APL calls upon its deep expertise in a number of technical domains, both cutting-edge and foundational.
Labs and Facilities
Innovation is woven into everything we do. Explore some of our cutting-edge collaboration spaces, labs, and test facilities.