US deploys LUCAS attack drones against Iran 'for first time in combat'

War US deploys LUCAS attack drones against Iran 'for first time in combat' March 2, 2026 3:33 pm • 3 min read by Kateryna Hodunova The U.S. used "low-cost one-way attack drones for the first time in combat" during strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, U.S. Central Command said in its post on X. The U.S. launched a series of strikes against Iran as part of Operation Epic Fury , carried out jointly with Israel. "The first hours of the operation included precision munitions launched from air, land, and sea. Additionally, CENTCOM's Task Force Scorpion Strike employed low-cost one-way attack drones for the first time in combat," the statement read. Ukrainian forces began using short-range, attack drones to repel Russian assaults during Moscow's full-scale invasion . Russia later adopted and expanded the tactic, launching daily waves of long-range drones — some based on Iranian designs — against Ukrainian cities and villages. Become a member – go ad‑free The U.S. confirmed on March 1 it used the Low‑Cost Unmanned Combat Attack System — a one‑way attack drone based on Iran's Shahed‑136 design and widely employed by Russia forces against Ukraine. The U.S. deployed a dedicated one‑way attack drone unit known as Task Force Scorpion Strike to the Middle East in December 2025, positioning its LUCAS drones there as a deterrent and countermeasure to threats from Iran and Tehran‑aligned forces in the region. LUCAS drones, developed jointly 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 U.S. pays for most traditional military systems and precision munitions, which can run into the millions of dollars apiece. Become a member – go ad‑free By contrast, the...