The MQ-1 Predator in flight.
Sheesh. It was only a month ago that the drone drivers at Battlespace Flight Services, a short walk from the Pentagon, landed a $950 million contract to keep Pentagon drones flying “at tasked locations worldwide” though March 2014.
On Friday, the Air Force announced a $412,084,746 boost to a different Battlespace contract “to provide MQ-1 O-level operation and maintenance support services. The location of the performance is Creech Air Force Base and deployed sites worldwide.”
But get this: while the first contract lasted into 2014, this newly-modified MQ-1 Predator contract only lasts until Jan. 31, 2013, less than two months from now. That represents a big increase in a contract with little time left. It suggests a mismatch between what the Air Force expected to pay and what it – i.e., we – are ultimately going to spend.
Here’s a peek at some of what Battlespace can do for you.