Report: Local Company Unveils Hovering Spy Drone

Local aviation technology company Aerovironment has unveiled a new spy drone it built for the U.S. government that can take off vertically and hover, according to the online trade magazine Aviation International News (AIN).

The magazine reported that the company built the "Shrike" unmanned aircraft under a $4.6 million contract awarded to it by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

Earlier this year, Aerovironment showed off . That project was funded under a similar DARPA contract.

The video camera-equipped "Shrike" drone can be carried by soldiers in a backpack and uses four rotors to lift off and can hover for about 40 minutes, according to the AIN report.