The LUCAS is a US kamikaze drone, like the Iranian Shahed series
It's not only the 'underdog' Iran that had the foresight to invest in weaponised drones for use against a much larger enemy. The US, maker of the world's best and most expensive stealth fighters, also sees wisdom in using the herald of demise.
Here's your cheatsheet to this big story
- Iran's Shahed series drones have performed well. They are cheap, can carry a large payload, fly a long distance and take out much expensive targets. They can do at a fraction of the cost the same task that a modern cruise missile can do.
- The US, despite having the best military tech, had eight months ago announced it had made an expendable and cheap kamikaze drone called the Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS).
- The LUCAS drone uses an open architecture that allows different payloads and communications systems, and can be deployed either for strikes or as a target drone, according to company materials. It can be launched from the ground or a truck. At about $35,000 each, it is far cheaper than the MQ-9 Reaper, which costs roughly $20 million to $40 million but is reusable and far more sophisticated.
- The days of LUCAS and Shaheds are here to stay. A big evidence of this new direction in warfare is the US's first use of the LUCAS ever in combat in the current strikes on Iran. Drones have become central to modern warfare following their effective use in the Ukraine war, including the Shahed systems flown by Russia that closely resemble the LUCAS.
- The LUCAS is built by Arizona's SpektreWorks. It was showcased in July 2025 when US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth walked the Pentagon's inner courtyard with more than a dozen companies competing to supply the US military with new equipment.
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