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Applied Physics Laboratory
The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, or simply Applied Physics Laboratory, or APL, is a not-for-profit U.S. Navy-sponsored university-affiliated research center (UARC) in Howard County, Maryland. APL is affiliated with Johns Hopkins University and employs more than 8,800 people as of 2025. APL is the nation's largest UARC. APL conducts research, engineering and analysis to address national security and scientific challenges faced by the United States and its allies. The Laboratory brings together technical expertise, longstanding experience and specialized facilities to support rapid prototyping and long-term research and development. APL works across a range of domains, contributing to both operational systems and foundational science and technology.
The Laboratory serves as a technical resource for every branch of the Department of Defense, the Intelligence Community, the Department of Homeland Security, NASA, and other government agencies, along with industry. APL has developed numerous systems and technologies in the areas of air and missile defense, surface and undersea naval warfare, computer security, and space science and spacecraft construction. The Lab's work spans 13 mission areas, including applications from undersea systems and cyber operations to biological sciences and space exploration. Multidisciplinary teams integrate domain expertise and systems engineering to support a range of government missions.
APL was established in 1942 during World War II under the Office of Scientific Research and Development's Section T as part of the government's effort to mobilize the nation's science and engineering expertise within its universities. Its founding director was Merle Anthony Tuve, who led Section T throughout the war.
Section T was created on Aug. 17, 1940. According to the official history of the Office of Scientific Research and Development, Scientists Against Time, APL was the name of Section T's main laboratory from 1942 onward, not the name of the organization overall. Section T's Applied Physics Laboratory succeeded in developing the variable-time proximity fuze, which played a significant role in the Allied victory. In response to the fuze's success, APL created the MK 57 gun in 1944.
Pleased with APL's work, the Navy tasked the Laboratory with the mission to find a way to negate guided missile threats. From then on, APL became heavily involved in air and missile defense research. Expected to disband at the end of the war, APL instead became deeply engaged in the development of guided missile technology for the Navy. At the government’s request, the University continued to maintain the Laboratory as a public service.
APL was originally located in Silver Spring, Maryland in a used-car garage at the Wolfe Building at 8621 Georgia Avenue. APL began moving to Laurel in 1954 with the construction of a $2 million building and a $700,000 wing expansion in 1956. The final staff transitioned to the new facility in 1975. Before moving to Laurel, APL also maintained the “Forest Grove Station,” north of Silver Spring on Georgia Avenue near today's Forest Glen Metro, which included a hypersonic wind tunnel. The Forest Grove Station was vacated and torn down in 1963, and flight simulations were moved to Laurel. In the 1960s, APL built two early and pioneering autonomous robots, or “mobile automatons,” called Ferdinand and the Johns Hopkins Beast.
The Laboratory's name comes from its origins in World War II, but APL's major strengths are systems engineering and prototyping solutions to complex national security and scientific challenges with technical expertise, research and development, and analysis. More than 80% the staff are technical professionals, including nearly 1,500 Ph.Ds., and a majority of staff have degrees in engineering, math, computer science, physics, biology or similar fields.
APL conducts programs in fundamental and applied research; exploratory and advanced development; test and evaluation; and systems engineering and integration. In addition to its sponsored work, APL maintains a robust internal research and development program that provides seed funding for exploration of innovative ideas and concepts to address the nation’s future challenges.
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Applied Physics Laboratory
The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, or simply Applied Physics Laboratory, or APL, is a not-for-profit U.S. Navy-sponsored university-affiliated research center (UARC) in Howard County, Maryland. APL is affiliated with Johns Hopkins University and employs more than 8,800 people as of 2025. APL is the nation's largest UARC. APL conducts research, engineering and analysis to address national security and scientific challenges faced by the United States and its allies. The Laboratory brings together technical expertise, longstanding experience and specialized facilities to support rapid prototyping and long-term research and development. APL works across a range of domains, contributing to both operational systems and foundational science and technology.
The Laboratory serves as a technical resource for every branch of the Department of Defense, the Intelligence Community, the Department of Homeland Security, NASA, and other government agencies, along with industry. APL has developed numerous systems and technologies in the areas of air and missile defense, surface and undersea naval warfare, computer security, and space science and spacecraft construction. The Lab's work spans 13 mission areas, including applications from undersea systems and cyber operations to biological sciences and space exploration. Multidisciplinary teams integrate domain expertise and systems engineering to support a range of government missions.
APL was established in 1942 during World War II under the Office of Scientific Research and Development's Section T as part of the government's effort to mobilize the nation's science and engineering expertise within its universities. Its founding director was Merle Anthony Tuve, who led Section T throughout the war.
Section T was created on Aug. 17, 1940. According to the official history of the Office of Scientific Research and Development, Scientists Against Time, APL was the name of Section T's main laboratory from 1942 onward, not the name of the organization overall. Section T's Applied Physics Laboratory succeeded in developing the variable-time proximity fuze, which played a significant role in the Allied victory. In response to the fuze's success, APL created the MK 57 gun in 1944.
Pleased with APL's work, the Navy tasked the Laboratory with the mission to find a way to negate guided missile threats. From then on, APL became heavily involved in air and missile defense research. Expected to disband at the end of the war, APL instead became deeply engaged in the development of guided missile technology for the Navy. At the government’s request, the University continued to maintain the Laboratory as a public service.
APL was originally located in Silver Spring, Maryland in a used-car garage at the Wolfe Building at 8621 Georgia Avenue. APL began moving to Laurel in 1954 with the construction of a $2 million building and a $700,000 wing expansion in 1956. The final staff transitioned to the new facility in 1975. Before moving to Laurel, APL also maintained the “Forest Grove Station,” north of Silver Spring on Georgia Avenue near today's Forest Glen Metro, which included a hypersonic wind tunnel. The Forest Grove Station was vacated and torn down in 1963, and flight simulations were moved to Laurel. In the 1960s, APL built two early and pioneering autonomous robots, or “mobile automatons,” called Ferdinand and the Johns Hopkins Beast.
The Laboratory's name comes from its origins in World War II, but APL's major strengths are systems engineering and prototyping solutions to complex national security and scientific challenges with technical expertise, research and development, and analysis. More than 80% the staff are technical professionals, including nearly 1,500 Ph.Ds., and a majority of staff have degrees in engineering, math, computer science, physics, biology or similar fields.
APL conducts programs in fundamental and applied research; exploratory and advanced development; test and evaluation; and systems engineering and integration. In addition to its sponsored work, APL maintains a robust internal research and development program that provides seed funding for exploration of innovative ideas and concepts to address the nation’s future challenges.
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