| Agency Name: | Defence Research Agency |
| Formed: | 1 April 1991 |
| Preceding1: | Admiralty Research Establishment |
| Preceding2: | Royal Aircraft Establishment |
| Preceding3: | Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment |
| Preceding4: | Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment |
| Preceding5: | Royal Signals and Radar Establishment |
| Dissolved: | April 1995 |
| Superseding: | Defence Evaluation and Research Agency |
| Headquarters: | Farnborough, Hampshire |
| Parent Agency: | Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom) |
The Defence Research Agency (DRA) was an executive agency of the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) from April 1991 until April 1995. At the time, the DRA was Britain's largest science and technology organisation. In April 1995, the DRA was combined with five other MOD establishments to form the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency.
The DRA was formed on 1 April 1991[1] as an amalgamation of the following Defence Research Establishments:
DRA's headquarters was created at the RAE site at Farnborough, but the other major sites maintained a great deal of independence.
DRA's first Chief Executive was Nigel Hughes, followed by John Chisholm who took over in August 1991.
In April 1995, the DRA was combined with five other MOD establishments to form the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA), DRA's John Chisholm becoming Chief Executive of the enlarged DERA (split in July 2001 into DSTL and QinetiQ).