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US used LUCAS suicide drones against Iran 'for the first time in combat'

2026-03-02 16:37:55Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

US used LUCAS suicide drones against Iran 'for the first time in

The US used "low-cost, single-target attack drones for the first time in combat" during strikes on Iran on February 28, US Central Command said in its Twitter post.

The US launched a series of attacks against Iran as part of Operation Epic Fury, carried out jointly with Israel.

"The first hours of the operation included precision munitions launched from the air, land, and sea. In addition, CENTCOM's Scorpion Strike Task Force used low-cost, single-target attack drones for the first time in combat," the statement said.

Ukrainian forces began using short-range attack drones to repel Russian attacks during the full-scale invasion of Moscow. Russia later adopted and expanded the tactic, launching daily waves of long-range drones — some based on Iranian designs — against Ukrainian cities and villages.

The US confirmed on March 1 that it used the Low-Cost Unmanned Combat Attack System (LUCAS) – a single-pronged attack drone based on Iran's Shahed-136 design and widely used by Russian forces against Ukraine.

The Americans deployed a dedicated, single-pronged attack drone unit known as Task Force Scorpion Strike to the Middle East in December 2025, positioning their LUCAS drones there as a deterrent and countermeasure to threats from Iran and Tehran-affiliated forces in the region.

The LUCAS drones, jointly developed by the Pentagon and Phoenix, Arizona-based SpektreWorks, can operate autonomously over long distances and be launched from a variety of platforms, including land, ships and vehicles. They are also capable of swarm operations, allowing multiple drones to strike simultaneously in coordinated attacks.

The LUCAS attack drone has an estimated unit cost of about $35,000, a fraction of what the US pays for most traditional military systems and precision munitions, which can run into the millions of dollars each.

In contrast, the US also deployed much more expensive platforms in the attacks on Iran, including MQ‑9 Reaper drones and advanced counter-drone systems, underscoring the mix of high-end and low-cost weapons in the operation.

In 2025, the US increased its investment in drone production. In July, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered a production acceleration to ensure Washington stays ahead of Russia and China in the global race for drone technology.

At the same time, Hegseth announced plans to create three new national drone testing sites within 90 days, predicting that the US would emerge as a leader in the drone industry by the end of 2027.

The US Department of Defense on July 16, 2025, displayed more than a dozen next-generation unmanned systems at the Pentagon, presenting prototypes of air, underwater and ground drones that military planners say are planned for future deployment.

In November last year, the US and Ukraine also launched joint production of interceptor drones, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced.


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