Boeing logs 220 hours for unmanned A160T

IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 14 (UPI) -- Boeing said it completed more than 200 hours of test flights for its A160T unmanned helicopter using a foliage-penetrating tracking and engagement radar.

Boeing announced it passed the 220-hour mark for test flights for its A160T Hummingbird unmanned helicopter with the Foil Foliage Penetration Reconnaissance, Surveillance, Tracking and Engagement Radar.

The longest flight for the Hummingbird at a testing ground at Fort Stewart, Ga., was 5.8 hours with an average flight time of 4.2 hours.

The A160T Hummingbird is a turbine-powered vehicle designed for numerous communications, intelligence and surveillance missions.

Boeing says it holds a world record for the A160T class of helicopters with more than 18 hours of unrefueled flight. It can hover at 20,000 feet and can carry more than 2 tons of cargo.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the U.S. Army developed FORESTER to fill surveillance gaps in coverage under foliage.

"The success of these test flights points to the operational readiness of this important capability," said Vic Sweberg, director of Unmanned Airborne Systems for Boeing. "The FORESTER is a unique radar, and the A160T is a unique helicopter. Together, they make a formidable system."