The Rapid Prototyping of Application Specific Signal Processors (RASSP) is a new ARPA/Tri-Service initiative intended to dramatically improve the process by which complex digital systems, particularly embedded digital signal processors, are designed, manufactured, upgraded and supported. RASSP seeks to improve by at least a factor of four the time required to take a design from concept to fielded prototype. RASSP is motivated by the need to provide affordable embedded signal processors for a wide range of DoD systems that are state-of-the-art when they are fielded, rather than when they are first defined. This paper introduces the program from two viewpoints. The first is technical, covering the major concepts upon which the RASSP approach to design is based. The second is programmatic, covering the roles of the program participants and the program status as of this writing.