Why did the U. S. Department of Defense undertake the research project that would become the Internet?

The DOD realized that the weapons of the future would require powerful computers for coordination and control

Explanation:

The Department of Defense undertook the research project that would become the internet after the realization that weapons of the future would require powerful computers for coordination and control. Examples are intercontinental missiles, they require computer guiding system so as to hit their targets and secondly, wars in the future would require less foot soldiers and will depend mainly on technology which is driven by internet technology.