Pentagon contractor transported drone bomb on US passenger flight: Lawsuit
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 reported the incident to the Pentagon in May 2015, he was reprimanded, stripped of various responsibilities and finally dismissed without severance.
His lawsuit also claims that the company’s CEO pressured employees to mislead the government about persisting security violations and mishandling of top-secret information.
Anderson, according to court document cited in the report, further claims that lawyers of the company “made an effort to threaten him” and that he was fired in retaliation for his whistleblowing moves.
While a spokesman for Delta Airlines refused to respond to inquiries about the incident, a spokesman for AeroVironment stated in an email that the company “believes the complaint contains baseless legal claims that are without merit,” insisting on the firm’s “commitment to conducting its business with the highest standards of ethics, safety and integrity.”
Pointing out that Anderson's lawsuit raises serious security concerns, the report further notes that 56 senior employees and executives of AeroVironment have left the company since report of the alleged drone-bomb cover-up was initially unveiled.
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