An American drone manufacturer working for the Pentagon transported a drone rigged with explosives on a passenger flight and attempted to cover it up by firing an employee who reported the incident, according to a lawsuit.
The chief of security efforts for California-based AeroVironment’s government programs, identified as Mark Anderson, was cited Friday by Bloomberg News as saying that he was sacked after reporting to the Pentagon that his company had transported an explosive-laden drone in a carry-on baggage on a Delta Airlines flight from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles with 230 passengers on board.
AeroVironment, the report added, relies heavily on US government contracts, and according to the firm’s most recent annual report, 55 percent of its business comes from contractor or subcontractor work for government agencies — with 37 percent of its revenue coming from the Defense Department.
Anderson further claimed that after he…