AeroVironment Inc. said Wednesday that it has received $4.6 million in funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to develop very small unmanned aircraft system capable of performing bird-like “hover and perch and stare” missions.

DARPA has a program to develop the technology for a new generation of micro air vehicles that can fly into a difficult target, land in an inconspicuous spot, conduct sustained surveillance and then re-launch from its perch and return home.

Monrovia-based AeroVironment designs and produces unmanned aircraft and efficient electric energy systems. It makes a hand-launched vehicle, the Wasp-based SP2S, that fits into a backpack and could be adapted to the new use, said John Grabowsky, general manager of the company’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems program, in a statement.

DARPA is an agency of the U.S. Defense Department that is responsible for developing technology for the military.

AeroVironment shares were up 81 cents, or almost 3 percent, to $32.73 in Tuesday morning trading on the Nasdaq.