ARL DSRC Overview
The Army Research Laboratory (ARL) has a deep, ingrained heritage of supporting U.S. warfighters. Our drive to creatively overcome obstacles and break new ground continues traditions started before World War II. Since 1943, the ARL (then known as the Ballistic Research Laboratory or BRL) has been at the vanguard of modern computing. Using the Bush Differential Analyzer, programmable calculators, and sheer brute force, the BRL provided ballistic calculations and firing tables that were vital to the Allied victory in World War II. In fact, the BRL at the Army's Aberdeen Proving Ground facility became the first permanent installation of what was fast becoming a strategic asset for battlefield computations and weapons development.
Our attitude for success comes from the tradition of teamwork and innovation that led to our leadership role in the development of the world's first general purpose, electronic digital computer. Conceived by a collaboration between BRL and the University of Pennsylvania, the Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer (ENIAC) required only 30 seconds to compute a single trajectory. Manual calculations took almost 20 hours.
Over the next three decades, the BRL continued to collaborate with academic partners to design new computers that were the most powerful machines of their time. These included EDVAC, ORDVAC, BRLES I, and BRLESC II. In 1986, the BRL developed ASNET, the Army Supercomputer Network, which became one of the fastest and most secure networking infrastructures on the planet. In 1992, the Army Research Laboratory was established by combining the Ballistic Research Laboratory with other Army research activities. This multifaceted organization is staffed by talented multidisciplinary scientists, engineers, and visionaries who are dedicated to meeting and pushing the envelope on the computing requirements of DOD researchers.
Today, ARL is proud to partner with the DoD High Performance Computing Modernization Program Office (HPCMPO) to manage and operate one of its four DoD Supercomputing Resource Centers (DSRCs). As one of the world’s most powerful computing sites, the ARL DSRC continues to deliver the latest in computational tools and innovative technology. Our computer simulations and models help technologists develop, test, and field weapon systems faster and more efficiently-shortening the entire acquisition process from research to production. ARL DSRC Team members are helping scientists develop more effective techniques for simulating combat environments, detecting munitions, and creating new armaments-to save lives on future battlefields.
As one of world's most powerful computing sites, the ARL DSRC uses world-class, high-performance computers (HPCs), cutting-edge applications, and expert staff scientists to help the United States maintain its technological and military supremacy. The Center offers a full spectrum of computational capabilities for the Department of Defense (DoD) Science and Technology and Test and Evaluation communities, including:
- Powerful parallel processors
- Reliable high-speed networks
- A wide range of software
- Comprehensive storage
- Scientific visualization
- Novel storage platforms
- Close ties with academic partners
- Advanced training
- Outstanding end-user care