Positioning itself as a reinforcement of the U.S. presence in the Middle East, the U.S. Armed Forces have decided to deploy their new Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS) loitering munitions, which have already begun to be informally referred to as clones of Iran’s Shahed-136 models. According to currently available information, these systems will be assigned to the Scorpion Strike Task Force, making it one of the first to have access to large quantities of these drones, in line with the needs identified by U.S. military leadership.
Expanding on the details, the specialized outlet The Warzone identifies two variants of the LUCAS system based on images released by the Pentagon: one designed for strikes against fixed targets, and another equipped with what appears to be a camera connected via satellite link, which indicates a capacity for retargeting once launched, enabling employment against mobile targets. In addition, analysts highlight that having this capability already integrated would facilitate the use of the drones in swarms, employing the camera-equipped units as nodes to also coordinate those carrying only the explosive warhead.
This point is not a minor one, considering that it would represent a key advantage over the Shahed-136 used by Iran in recent hostilities with Israel, as well as by Russia on the Ukrainian front. Those drones lack the ability to be effectively controlled beyond line of sight, which limits their effectiveness against moving targets, while attempts to modify them to mitigate this problem (as Russian forces have done) reduce their range performance.
It is also important to mention that the LUCAS platform has a unit cost that allows the Pentagon to acquire them in large numbers, with figures hovering around $35,000. In recent statements, U.S. Navy Captain Tim Hawkins emphasized: “With a cost of approximately $35,000 per platform, LUCAS is an affordable and scalable system that delivers cutting-edge capabilities at a fraction of the cost of traditional U.S. long-range systems that can achieve similar effects. The drone system has extended range and the ability to operate beyond line of sight, providing significant capability across CENTCOM’s vast operational area.”
Lastly, although the loitering munitions mentioned so far already include two complementary variants, U.S. analysts note the potential existence of a third version specifically intended for anti-radiation applications—meaning the ability to detect and neutralize enemy air defense systems through interception of their electromagnetic emissions. This remains unconfirmed by imagery or official statements, but is pointed to as a development that could further enhance the capabilities of this drone force, especially considering that, in swarm use and in successive waves, they could become extremely difficult to stop with current defense systems.
*Image credits: CENTCOM
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