Defence Research Agency

><h2 id="history">History</h2>
<p>The DRA was formed on 1 April 1991<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1"><sup>1</sup></a> as an <a href="/facts/Consolidation_(business)/neJVyvfq">amalgamation</a> of the following <a href="/facts/Defence_Research_Establishments/8mPS0AhP">Defence Research Establishments</a>: 
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<ul><li><a href="/facts/Admiralty_Research_Establishment/20dhrdqd">Admiralty Research Establishment</a> (ARE) – major sites <a href="/facts/Portsdown/SgjhE30e">Portsdown</a>, <a href="/facts/Hampshire/omDltCzr">Hampshire</a> and <a href="/facts/Southwell%2c_Dorset/4fxHwG0j">Southwell</a>, <a href="/facts/Dorset/Nk56BJr3">Dorset</a> ("Maritime Division")</li>
<li><a href="/facts/Royal_Aircraft_Establishment/gXh5C7Jq">Royal Aircraft Establishment</a> (RAE) – major site <a href="/facts/Farnborough%2c_Hampshire/nwSkuxh2">Farnborough, Hampshire</a> ("Aerospace Division")<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Aeroplane_and_Armament_Experimental_Establishment/zK6QvzJQ">Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment</a> (A&AEE) – major site <a href="/facts/Boscombe_Down/eQu86lsV">Boscombe Down</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Royal_Armament_Research_and_Development_Establishment/LLHtY3YI">Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment</a> (<a href="/facts/RARDE/LLHtY3YI">RARDE</a>) – major site <a href="/facts/Fort_Halstead/LLHtY3YI">Fort Halstead</a>, <a href="/facts/Kent/aYfQI6Fc">Kent</a> ("Military Division")</li>
<li><a href="/facts/Royal_Signals_and_Radar_Establishment/G96SheBm">Royal Signals and Radar Establishment</a> (RSRE) – major site <a href="/facts/Malvern%2c_Worcestershire/zUIJCb77">Malvern, Worcestershire</a> ("Electronics Division")</li></ul>
<p>DRA's headquarters was created at the RAE site at Farnborough, but the other major sites maintained a great deal of independence.
</p><p>DRA's first Chief Executive was Nigel Hughes, followed by <a href="/facts/John_Chisholm_(executive)/Xt7Xvx13">John Chisholm</a> who took over in August 1991.
</p><p>In April 1995, the DRA was combined with five other MOD establishments to form the <a href="/facts/Defence_Evaluation_and_Research_Agency/RyyEXFCr">Defence Evaluation and Research Agency</a> (<a href="/facts/Defence_Evaluation_and_Research_Agency/RyyEXFCr">DERA</a>), DRA's <a href="/facts/John_Chisholm_(executive)/Xt7Xvx13">John Chisholm</a> becoming Chief Executive of the enlarged <a href="/facts/Defence_Evaluation_and_Research_Agency/RyyEXFCr">DERA</a> (split in July 2001 into <a href="/facts/DSTL/dIsp3UsK">DSTL</a> and <a href="/facts/QinetiQ/0ggdsVGF">QinetiQ</a>).
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<h2 id="bibliography">Bibliography</h2>
<ul><li>Eds. <a href="https://sciencemuseum.academia.edu/RobertBud/CurriculumVitae">Robert Bud</a> and <a href="/facts/Philip_Gummett/r4zSKPc0">Philip Gummett</a> (1999), <i>Cold War Hot Science: Applied Research in Britain's Defence Laboratories 1945-1990</i>, Harwood <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 90-5702-481-0</li>
<li>Lake, A (1999). <i>Flying units of the RAF</i>. <a href="/facts/Shrewsbury/Xo9eohD7">Shrewsbury</a>: Airlife. <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 1-84037-086-6.</li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1"><p>"Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) and its immediate predecessors: Reports and Files 1991–2001". 2001. Archived from the original on 22 June 2011. Retrieved 10 September 2011. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110622155119/http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details.mvc/Collection/?iAID=16166&cref=DEFE%2075" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20110622155119/http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details.mvc/Collection/?iAID=16166&cref=DEFE%2075</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:2"><p>Lake 1999, p. 57. - Lake, A (1999). Flying units of the RAF. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 1-84037-086-6. <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
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Defence Research Agency open-in-new

Defence Research Agency