Mission Area
Homeland Defense
Johns Hopkins APL’s Homeland Defense Mission Area develops innovative and effective solutions to defend the U.S. homeland and its critical infrastructure from increasingly diverse and sophisticated adversary threats. As offensive systems that can endanger our homeland emerge and evolve, APL envisions and creates critical defense technologies that will protect our nation. We develop cutting-edge solutions to support the missions of the Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security to secure the United States from threat.
Leadership
David Van Wie Sector Head, Air and Missile Defense
Learn more about David Van Wie
Andrew Oak Mission Area Executive, Homeland Defense
Learn more about Andrew OakHighlights
ACAS X: Airborne Collision Avoidance for the 21st Century
APL researchers played a leading role in the development of ACAS X—a collision avoidance system onboard all international commercial aircraft that will replace existing systems as they are retired.
Recent News
Press Release
Jun 18, 2025
USNORTHCOM Commander’s Visit Spotlights Johns Hopkins APL’s Proactive Role in Homeland Defense
Gen. Gregory Guillot, Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, saw firsthand how APL’s advanced technologies and cross-agency expertise support emerging national security priorities, including integrated air and missile defense, multidomain awareness and counter-drone operations.
Press Release
Jun 3, 2025
Gen. Glen D. VanHerck Joins Johns Hopkins APL as Senior Advisor
Air Force Gen. Glen D. VanHerck, retired, has joined APL as senior advisor focused on homeland defense. VanHerck brings extensive leadership experience in defense and national security, having previously served as commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command.
News
Apr 7, 2025
Johns Hopkins APL Team Applies Expertise to Homeland Defense Wargame
A team from APL played a central role in a recent Defense Department wargame that addressed the challenges of protecting logistics infrastructure against growing adversarial threats.