Aircraft intended to fly Drug Enforcement Agency surveillance missions in Afghanistan will likely never go to Asia,according to reviewAn $86m Drug Enforcement Administration plane purchased seven years ago to fly surveillance and counter-narcotics missions in Afghanistan remains grounded in the US and will probably never fly in Asia, according to a scathing audit released on Wednesday by the Justice Department’s inspector general.
The review, or which was spurred by a July 2014 whistleblower’s report,found that the Global Discovery program to modify the ATR 42-500 aircraft to supply the DEA with advanced surveillance capabilities was supposed to be completed in December 2012. But it has been plagued by missteps costing the agencies $86m, or four times the initial estimated cost. The project was piece of an agreement with the Defense Department.
Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com