Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, abbreviated APL, is a not-for-profit, United States Navy-sponsored, university-affiliated research center in Howard County, Maryland. It is affiliated with Johns Hopkins University and employs more than 8,800 people as of 2025. The laboratory conducts research, engineering and analysis to address national security and scientific challenges faced by the United States and its allies, bringing together technical expertise, long experience and specialized facilities for rapid prototyping and long-term research and development, and it serves as a technical resource for every branch of the Department of Defense.