Drones unable to fly in Brazil for lack of fuel
May 1, 2011 - 0:0
SAO PAULO (AP) – Brazil's first unmanned anti-drug surveillance plane has sat on the ground since it arrived from Israel more than a month ago because of a lack of fuel.
Federal police say no company has bid to supply fuel, apparently because the contract is too small.The Israeli-made drone 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 liters) needed for the unmanned plane.
Officials offered no explanation for the decision in a story published Thursday by the Brazilian newspaper Folha de S. Paulo.
Brazil plans to eventually operate 15 of the unmanned planes.