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Brendan Cole
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The U.S. military has claimed a milestone by launching a one-way attack drone from a ship at sea for the first time.
U.S. Naval Forces Central Command said in a statement that a LUCAS (low-cost unmanned combat attack system) was launched from USS Santa Barbara in the Persian Gulf on Tuesday and released video of the launch.
The LUCAS was based on the Iranian Shahed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) also known as "suicide drones" which have wreaked havoc in Russia's war on Ukraine.
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Why It Matters
The U.S. claimed it as the first-ever shipborne launch of a LUCAS drone at sea, which marks a major milestone in U.S. naval drone warfare and could reshape American naval tactics in a region where Iranian drones pose a threat.
What To Know
U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) said in a statement Wednesday that the LUCAS drone was deployed from the littoral combat ship USS Santa Barbara in the Persian Gulf the previous day. It did not specify whether it carried a live payload during the launch.
U.S. Central Command assigned the drone to Task Force Scorpion Strike, which is based in the Middle East to develop and deploy one-way attack drones at scale and has overseen tests involving unmanned platforms in the Middle East.
Vice Adm. Curt Renshaw, commander of NAVCENT/C5F said that this first successful launch of LUCAS from a naval vessel marked a significant milestone in delivering affordable and effective unmanned capabilities to the warfighter.
NAVCENT/C5F is the maritime component of U.S. Central Command, whose area of responsibility includes 21 countries around the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Gulf of Oman and parts of the Indian Ocean.
It also encompasses three critical chokepoints at the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal, and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait at the southern tip of Yemen.
The LUCAS platforms operated by U.S. forces in the Middle East have an extensive range and can be launched from catapults, rocket-assisted takeoff, and mobile ground and vehicle systems, the statement added.
The one-way attack drones are meant to counter the Iranian Shahed drones which have been used by Russia in Ukraine and are deployed by Tehran-backed militias throughout the region.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Air Force asked manufacturers to make exact replicas of the Shahed to assist in testing and training, Stars and Stripes reported.
Developed by Arizona-based defense contractor SpektreWorks, LUCAS is designed for long-range, autonomous missions and its development comes amid a U.S. military push to scale up low-cost unmanned strike systems, according to defense publication Stars and Stripes, citing defense officials.
The exact range has not been clarified, but it is believed to extensive. A specification sheet for the FLM-136 product from which LUCAS is derived said its range could be up to six hours with a cruising speed of 55 knots, The Aviationist reported.
The outlet said that while the drones can be downed by anti-air weaponry, their strength comes from being deployed in large batches from multiple directions to confuse, overwhelm, and overcome an opponent’s air defence networks.
What People Are Saying
Vice Adm. Curt Renshaw, in a statement: “This first successful launch of LUCAS from a naval vessel marks a significant milestone in rapidly delivering affordable and effective unmanned capabilities to the warfighter," adding it will “undoubtedly enhance regional maritime security and deterrence."
What Happens Next
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a $1 billion drone purchase in which manufacturers will compete against one another in the coming years for contracts.
The Defense Department published its initial request outlining the first challenge manufacturers must meet which is scheduled for February.
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