[Domandred]

Stealth Planes: It's probably the best example of DARPA fulfilling its remit to come up with "surprise" technologies – even the US Air Force was surprised by the idea.

Guys over at Lockheed Skunk Works might argue over claim to stealth. They were flying SR-71 in 64. I just skimmed over the Skunk Works book but if I remember right the Air Force didn't invite them to do a prototype. So Skunk Works called up the Air Force and said something like "hey we've been flying the technology you want for years under CIA"

[Riley]

Troop-transporting torpedoes could travel at speeds of up to 100 knots thanks to a phenomenon called supercavitation.

Except that the likely reason for transporting troops this way would be covert insertion, and supercavitation is REALLY, REALLY LOUD.

[KoRn]

*

[ShadowAce]

[martin_fierro]

Failed projects

...

The mechanical elephant: Frustrated by a lack of decent tarmac in the jungle, DARPA sought to create a "mechanical elephant" during the Vietnam war. Its vision of high-tech Hannibal's piloting them through the forest never came true. It is alleged that when the director heard of the plan he scrapped the "damn fool" project immediately in the hope no one would hear about it.

There've been some promising results lately (though you're sure not gonna sneak up on anyone)

[martin_fierro]

[Question_Assumptions]

I'm more upset about the scrapping of NERVA than Orion.