Editing Defence Evaluation and Research Agency

{{Short description|Former executive agency in the UK}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2017}}
{{Infobox government agency
| agency_name       = Defence Evaluation Research Agency
| logo   = 
| formed            = April 1995
| preceding1        = [[Defence Research Agency]]
| preceding2        = [[Defence CBRN Centre|Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment]]
| preceding3        = [[Defence Test and Evaluation Organisation]]
| preceding4        = [[Centre for Defence Analysis]]
| dissolved         = 2001
| superseding       = [[Defence Science and Technology Laboratory]]
| jurisdiction      = [[United Kingdom]]
| headquarters      = [[Farnborough, Hampshire]], UK
| origins           = 
| chief1_name       = [[John Chisholm (engineer)|Sir John Chisholm]]
| chief1_position   = Chief Executive
| parent_agency     = [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]]
| footnotes         = 
}}

The '''Defence Evaluation and Research Agency''' ('''DERA''') was a part of the [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|UK Ministry of Defence]] (MoD) between 1995 and 2 July 2001. At the time it was the United Kingdom's largest science and technology organisation. It was regarded by its official history as 'a jewel in the crown' of both government and industry.<ref name="Cold War Hot Science">Eds. Robert Bud and [[Philip Gummett]], ''Cold War Hot Science: Applied Research in Britain's Defence Laboratories 1945-1990'', Harwood, 1999 {{ISBN|90-5702-481-0}}</ref>

== Formation and operation ==
DERA was formed in April 1995 as an amalgamation of: 
*[[Defence Research Agency]] (DRA) which was set up in April 1991 and comprised 
**[[Royal Aircraft Establishment|Royal Aerospace Establishment]] (RAE)
**[[Admiralty Research Establishment]] (ARE)
**[[Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment]] (RARDE)
**[[Royal Signals and Radar Establishment]] (RSRE)
*[[Defence Test and Evaluation Organisation]] (DTEO)
*[[Defence CBRN Centre|Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment]] (CBDE at [[Porton Down]]), which became part of the Protection and Life Sciences Division (PLSD)
*[[Centre for Defence Analysis]] (CDA).

The chief executive throughout DERA's existence was [[John Chisholm (engineer)|John Chisholm]]. DERA's staffing level was around 9,000 scientists, technologists and support staff.

== Dissolution ==
DERA was split into two organisations, based on short-lived transition bodies known as PDERA ("privatised" DERA) - becoming a [[commerce|commercial]] firm, [[QinetiQ]] - and "RDERA" ( "retained" in Government DERA) - becoming the [[Defence Science and Technology Laboratory]] (Dstl).

At the split, QinetiQ was formed from the majority (about 3/4 of the staff and most of the facilities) of DERA, with Dstl assuming responsibility for those aspects which were best done in government. A few examples of the work undertaken by Dstl include [[nuclear reaction|nuclear]], [[chemical]], and [[Biological warfare|biological]] [[research]]. In the time since the split both organisations have undergone significant change programmes. QinetiQ has increased its focus on overseas research with a number of US and other foreign acquisitions, whereas Dstl has a major rationalisation programme.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.QinetiQ.com QinetiQ website]
* [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/defence-science-and-technology-laboratory Dstl website]


{{Qinetiq}}
[[Category:Government munitions production in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Evaluation]]
[[Category:Government agencies established in 1995]]
[[Category:Government agencies disestablished in 2001]]
[[Category:2001 disestablishments in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Defence agencies of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Defunct executive agencies of the United Kingdom government]]
[[Category:1995 establishments in the United Kingdom]]

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