A US Navy warship operating in the Middle East launched a one-way attack drone at sea this week, marking a first for the American military as it pushes to deploy this new technology.
The Independence-class littoral combat ship USS Santa Barbara launched the drone, a Low-cost Unmanned Combat Attack System, or LUCAS, in the Arabian Gulf on Tuesday, 5th Fleet said in a statement on Wednesday.
Vice Adm. Curt Renshaw, the head of US Naval Forces Central Command, said the “first successful launch of LUCAS from a naval vessel marks a significant milestone in rapidly delivering affordable and effective” drones to American military personnel.
The drone launched from the Santa Barbara belonged to a new squadron based in the Middle East that operates the LUCAS systems, one-way attack drones that resemble the Iranian-designed Shahed-136 widely used by Russia in attacks against Ukraine.
LUCAS, developed by the American engineering firm SpektreWorks, has an “extensive” range, can be launched by catapults and from vehicles and mobile ground stations, and has rocket-assisted takeoff capabilities.
The system’s classification as a one-way attack drone, also known as a loitering munition, indicates that LUCAS can remain airborne in a target area for a period before diving down at its target and detonating.
“This platform will undoubtedly enhance regional maritime security and deterrence,” said Renshaw, who oversees the American naval presence in the Middle East.
Littoral combat ships, such as the Santa Barbara, are equipped with naval cannons, machine guns, and missiles. The ability to launch attack drones from the flight deck would give the vessels more firepower, though it’s unclear whether the LUCAS systems would be used this way during combat operations.
The launch this week, which took place in waters near Iran, comes as the US seeks to rapidly produce and deploy inexpensive drones amid a rise in robotic and autonomous systems in modern warfare.
The Trump administration has made it a priority to boost the production of drones to keep pace with Russia and China. Earlier this month, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared a plan envisioning a substantial $1 billion investment over two years to make and field hundreds of thousands of cheap attack drones.
US Central Command, which oversees US operations in the Middle East, announced on December 3 the establishment of a new task force for the military’s first one-way attack drone squadron — using LUCAS drones — in the region.
The delta-wing shape is a popular design for one-way attack drones. Some models, like the LUCAS or Russia’s Geran-2, appear to have derived their profiles from the notorious Iranian Shahed.
Russia used Iranian-made Shaheds against Ukraine early in the war, but it has since started manufacturing its own versions. The Gerans carry small warheads and travel much slower than cruise and ballistic missiles, but they are significantly cheaper, allowing Moscow to launch dozens or hundreds in a single night. These weapons augment strike packages and make defense more difficult.
In May, President Donald Trump praised the Shahed for its low cost — estimated to be roughly $35,000 to $40,000 — and speed. He said the drone has proven extremely deadly in Ukraine.
One-way attack drones, like the Shahed, have been used in recent years by Iran-backed militants, who have launched them at American forces in the Middle East, as well as Israel and ships sailing off the coast of Yemen.
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