Overview
- The Pentagon confirmed that many Low‑Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System drones are already operating in the region under CENTCOM’s new Scorpion Strike Task Force.
- Reporting indicates LUCAS was developed after U.S. engineers dismantled and reverse‑engineered a captured Iranian Shahed‑136.
- Iranian armed forces spokesman Abolfazl Shekarchi mocked the move as proof of Iran’s unmanned prowess, saying the U.S. has been forced to copy the Shahed design.
- Each LUCAS is reported to cost about $35,000, raising questions about production scale compared with cheaper Iranian variants used by Tehran and its partners.
- The Shahed‑136’s compact design, low radar signature and ease of launch have enabled effective swarm tactics, and its design has been mass‑produced in Russia as the Geran‑2 for use in Ukraine.