Brazil’s first unmanned anti-drug surveillance aircraft has been grounded since it arrived from Israel more than a month ago because of a lack of fuel.
Federal police say that no company has bid to supply fuel, apparently because the contract is too small. The Israeli-made UAS can fly on the same fuel used by other federal police aircraft, but officials decided they wanted a separate contract for the 3,170 gallons (12,000 litres) needed for the unmanned aircraft.
Officials offered no explanation for the decision in a story published last week by the Brazilian newspaper, Folha de São Paulo. Brazil plans to eventually operate 15 of the unmanned planes.
Source: Associated Press