Overview
- CENTCOM confirmed the first-ever U.S. combat use of one-way LUCAS drones during Operation Epic Fury against Iranian targets.
- LUCAS is modeled on Iran’s Shahed‑136 and developed by SpektreWorks in Arizona, with reported unit costs around $35,000–$40,000 and launch options from catapults or mobile platforms.
- Some LUCAS airframes are reported to carry Starlink terminals for real-time control and coordinated swarm tactics, though full configuration details were not officially disclosed.
- The strike package paired the drones with Tomahawk cruise missiles and manned jets; officials have not itemized all munitions, and widely shared videos of low-flying Tomahawks have not been independently verified.
- Footage and reports noted a dark-painted Tomahawk and a precision strike rocket, with no official confirmation that the darker missile is the upgraded Maritime Strike Tomahawk; the U.S. move follows reverse-engineering of a captured Shahed and aligns with Pentagon plans to buy large numbers of low-cost drones in 2026–2027.