DARPA moves ahead with project to develop unmanned aerial vehicle that stays aloft for five years

http://mae.pennnet.com/display_article/370312/32/ARTCL/none/EXECW/1/DARPA-moves-ahead-with-project-to-develop-unmanned-aerial-vehicle-that-stays-aloft-for-five-years/

http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/DARPAs-Vulture-What-Goes-Up-Neednt-Come-Down-04852/

ARLINGTON, Va., 23 Oct. 2009. Aeronautical scientists at the U.S.
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in Arlington, Va.,
are taking another step in developing an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)
able to stay aloft and on station for as long as five years to act as
an electronic sensor and military communications platform.

This project, called Vulture II, will compete three contractor teams
-- led by Aurora Flight Sciences Corp. of Manassas, Va.; the Boeing
Co. Integrated Defense Systems advanced systems segment in St. Louis;
and the Lockheed Martin Skunk Works in Palmdale, Calif. -- for the
right to build a small-scale flight demonstration version of the
Vulture high-altitude UAV that must remain aloft and on station for
three months.