DARPA paved the way for extended-range unmanned vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) operations by sponsoring development of another Hummingbird: the A-160, a long-endurance, high-speed unmanned helicopter that flew for 18.7 hours and in 2008 set a world record for endurance in its weight class.
The A-160 was part of research pursued by DARPA and the Services to produce a range of autonomous platforms that could team with people to create a more capable, agile, and cost-effective force.
The A-160 was intended to perform intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions to address increasingly complex missions in more complicated environments by improving knowledge of the battlespace and enhancing mission flexibility.
