State Department May Give Embassy Drone Surveillance Another Shot

The State Department's security bureau is back in the market for a contractor to fly surveillance drones over U.S. embassies abroad and along diplomats' travel routes, according to contracting documents posted Monday.

The department relied on surveillance drones to aid security personnel at the U.S. embassy in Iraq through August 2012 and began seeking a contractor for drone support at other embassies in September 2011, according to contracting records. That proposed contract was for up to five years and $1 billion, the largest non-military drone procurement to date.

In May, the State Department canceled that solicitation, saying none of the competitors met its minimum requirements. Read more...